Baby, You're Not Like the Rest
by heyitsme517
Summary: So Austin and Ally have just met, and can immediately tell that they are different. What will happen?
1. Meeting and Mishaps

**(A/N - wassup, fanfic readers? A lot of you may know me from some of my other stories, "Accidentally in Love", "Falling for Her", and "The Best Days". If you don't know what I'm talking about, go check them out! :D Well, here is another story I am starting to work on. I am trying to switch it up a bit, so this story will have both Austin and Ally's Points of View of the same event. Sorry this chapter is so short, but they just met. Okay, so read... then review!)**

**_AUSTIN POV_**

I stepped out of my cherry red Mustang convertible, hiding my face from the girls heading in my direction. Most guys would love all the attention from the ladies, but I don't.

I know most of the girls at my school like me for my looks or something superficial. Or because they want something. Honestly, all I want is to meet one down to earth girl at Tribune High - just _one_. Is that too much to ask?

Although I am part of the "_popular_" group, I would totally be okay just chilling with my best bud, Dez. Speaking of the eccentric red-head, here he comes. "Hey, Austin," he said happily, as we did our handshake. "Ready for the first day of sophomore year?"

"Nope," I replied honestly. I nodded at a few girls who were waving and giggling by the school doors. "I can't wait to get away from this place."

"Only three more years," Dez said, nodding as we stepped into the school. Today begins a new eight and a half months of tortue - the school year. Don't get me wrong, I like school - just not the reputation that I '_must_' uphold. Somehow, I got thrown into the popular crowd - and I hate it. I have tried so many times to get out, but apparently you can't just change your social status. Okay, whatever.

I like to think of myself as a silly, fun guy who is also smart. But I can't be both, according to the social ladder. As I was fuming about the stupidity of high school, I felt a small body crash into mine. "Ouch," I heard. I looked down to see a petite brunette on the floor, her stuff strew everywhere. I quickly bent down and gathered everything, since this collision was partially my fault.

Plus, this girl was cute - not fake, made up, or slutty - just downright adorable. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, looking into her big, brown, doe eyes. They were entrancing. I reached out a hand and noticed her hesitation as she took it. Then I easily pulled her to her feet. "Are you okay? I'm Austin Moon, by the way."

She nodded and blushed, taking her stuff back. "It was my fault," she mumbled, looking down. "Thanks." She began to shuffle off, but I placed a hand on her arm. "Wait," I called. "Can I at least get a name?"

"Ally Dawson," She said, smiling. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Ally," I said, shooting her a huge grin. Then she hurried off down the hall to a short Latina.

Austin and Ally - I like it. The way that this girl looked down, blushed, and smiled made me instantly realize how different she was from other girls at this school. She was the one that I want to find - the down to earth girl that I knew existed in this sea of fake.

I stared after her, grinning stupidly. Ally. Ally Dawson. Suddenly I felt Dez's hand clamp down on my back.

"Austin, you haven't had a look like that since the seventh grade," he chuckled. "You like her." I nodded my head slowly, still in a daze. Then I looked down and saw a leather journal with an 'A' on the front - it must belong to Ally. This gives me an excuse to talk to her again, which I will gladly accept.

I bent down and picked up the worn journal, not going through it, since it could be a diary. I tucked it into my backpack and began walking to my first period class, English. I scanned the room quickly in hopes of spotting Ally, but didn't see her.

What was this girl doing to me? I really hope to see Ally later - not only is she different, but she seems to be one of the few girls in this school that isn't completely falling all over me. But maybe, just maybe, I could change that, because I am already falling for her.

**_ALLY POV_**

I rolled my eyes at the boys whistling behind me as I hurried down the hallway. I hate unnecessary attention. "Where you going, beautiful?" a jock called after me. I blushed and ducked around a corner, instantly crashing into someone, and dropping all my stuff.

"Ouch," I mumbled from my position on the floor. I looked up to see a tall, cute, blonde boy hovering above me with a worried expression. Austin Moon.

"I'm so sorry," he said quickly, gathering my stuff, then offering me a hand. I almost didn't take it - why is he being nice to me? He is popular, and that automatically makes him arrogant, right? I know that sounds like stereotyping, but that is just how it goes at Tribune High. I finally relented and grasped his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. "Are you okay? I'm Austin Moon, by the way." I knew that - everyone does. I nodded and thanked him, then began to head off down the hall. He placed a hand on my arm before I could leave, however. "Wait," he said, smiling. "Can I at least get a name?"

His smile seemed so warm, that I couldn't help but return it. "Ally Dawson," I said. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Ally," he said, grinning. I nodded and headed off down the hall, to where I saw my best friend, Trish, standing.

"Oh my gosh," she squealed. "You like him."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "No, I don't," I said flatly. As soon as I sait it, I realized how untrue it was. Although I have written Austin off as a popular, arrogant jerk - which is why I am the only girl not drooling over him, no matter how cute he is - he didn't seem like it.

He actually seemed genuine, and down to earth. When I walked into my first period class, history, I reached into my messanger bag for my songbook - but the leather journal wasn't in there.

I immediately went into panic mode, breathing heavily and thinking I might throw up. The teacher gave me a pass to the clinic, where I _did_ throw up, and was sent home for the rest of the day. My songbook/diary is missing - this is _not_ good.

**(A/N - okay, super short, I know. But I didn't want to write too much into the first chapter. I am still continuing my other stories too, so no worries, but I want to try Austin and Ally from a ton of different angles. And when I get an idea, I get excited... so read, and review! Thanks!)**


	2. Findings and Friends

**(A/N - so even though I just posted this story a few hours ago, I thought you guys deserved a second chapter today, especially since the last one was a bit short. So here you go! Read and Review!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I went the whole day in search of Ally, and she was even on the roll for some of my classes - _YES_ - but I never saw her. "Dez, this is driving me crazy," I exclaimed. "Where could she have gone? Do you think she is alright?"

"Austin, stop worrying," Dez said next to me. "I'm sure she's fine. Here, if it bugs you, we'll go ask that girl she walked off to earlier this morning."

"Dez," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "I think you just had a good idea." Dez grinned and fist pumped, as those moments did not come often for him. It was the end of the school day, and I spotted the short Latina walking out to the parking lot. I sprinted to catch up to her, since I couldn't call her name - I didn't know it. When I reached her, she spun around looking shocked. "Hey... I... need... to... ask..." I said in between breaths.

She looked at me like I was crazy. "You need to ask what?" she said. "By the way, I'm Trish."

"Austin," I said, shaking her hand and finally breathing normal. "You're friends with Ally, right?" Trish raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. "Where did she go today?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Trish said, confused. "She never texted me that she was leaving."

"Ugh," I groaned. "I really hope she's alright."

"You do?" Trish asked, surprise obvious on her face. I nodded my head. "So you care about her?"

Again, I nodded my head. "Yeah, I do," I said, smiling. "I have only met her once, and I can already tell how different she is. I need to return something to her, though." I pulled the leather book out of my backpack.

Trish gasped. "Oh my gosh, that's her songbook/diary," she said. "She is probably _freaking_ out right now. If you want to find her, she works at Sonic Boom, in the local mall."

"Thanks so much," I said, waving. I ran over to my car and drove the the mall, where I found the Sonic Boom. I walked in and was amazed by all the instruments. I was in a daze as I scanned the wall of guitars, acoustic, electric, and vintage.

"Austin," I faintly heard someone call my name. "Austin? What are you doing here?" I felt a small hand on my arm and looked down to see Ally standing in front of me, a worried expression on her face.

"Sorry," I mumbled, blushing. Wait, _blushing_? Austin Moon does _not_ blush, or get nervous. "I got a little distracted. These are great."

"You like music?" she asked, a smile crossing her worried face. I nodded my head. "That's cool. So, uh, what are you doing here? Because I really need to find..."

I pulled her leather journal out of my backpack, smiling at the way that her eyes went wide. "Are you looking for this? Don't worry, I didn't read it."

She clutched the book in her hands. "Oh my gosh, I was looking for this," she exclaimed, jumping up and down. She wrapped me a huge hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're the best. I was freaking out."

I hugged her back, then pulled away when she looked a little uncomfortable. "So, uh, where did you go today?" I asked, rubbing my neck and trying to start a conversation. "I was trying to find you to return it, but you weren't in any of our classes."

"We have classes together?" Ally asked, a smile on her face. I nodded. "Oh, well, when I was freaking out about my songbook, I kinda threw up, and the nurse sent me home. I was having a bit of a panic attack, I know it's kind of pathetic."

I shot her a huge grin. "It's not pathetic," I said, putting my hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "If I lost something super important to me, I would flip out too. So, it's a songbook?"

"And journal," Ally said, looking down at the leather book in her hands. "But yeah, mostly a songbook. Thank you again so much for returning this."

"Can I hear one?" I asked hopefully. I could see that she wanted to say no. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to."

She bit her lip in deep thought, then finally spoke. "Well, I want to," she said. "But I have really bad stage fright."

"Oh," I said, nodding in understanding. "Well, that's okay. Maybe another time."

She smiled up at me. "Totally," she said. "Well, I guess I should get back to work. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," I said, grinning and giving her a small wink. I started to walk away, but she ran over and gave me a brief, shy hug. "Thanks again," she whispered. I nodded, smiling and walked out of the music shop. I was right, Ally _is_ different. Good different. She's not like the rest.

_**ALLY POV**_

After the nurse told me to go home, I ran around the school in search of my book. I went through my bookbag and locker multiple times. Finally, I decided that I might not have brought it with me today, although that is unlikely. I ran out to my blue Honda Civic and pulled out of the parking lot. I checked everywhere in the house, but still saw no book.

I searched until it was almost time for my shift at Sonic Boom, and then searched some more around my father's music shop. Still no book. I was on the verge of another panic attack, when I saw Austin walk through the doors of the shop, immediately walking over to a wall of guitars. By the look on his face, I could tell that he loves music.  
"Austin," I called out. He didn't seem to hear me. I walked over and placed a hand on his arm, trying to get him out of whatever daze he was in. "Austin? What are you doing here?" He finally snapped out of it, shaking his head then looking down at me.

"Sorry," he mumbled, blushing. Aw, he looks even cuter when he blushes. _Wait, did I say that?_ "I got a little distracted. These are great."

"You like music?" I asked, smiling when he nodded. "That's cool. So, uh, what are you doing here? Because I really need to find..." It's not that I don't want him here, it's just that I really need to find my songbook.

I stopped when I saw him pulling my leather journal out of his backpack. My first thought was that nobody is aloud to touch my book, but then I realized he was returning it. "Are you looking for this?" he asked. "Don't worry, I didn't read it."

I grabbed the book and hugged it to my chest.. "Oh my gosh, I was looking for this," I exclaimed, bouncing on my toes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're the best. I was freaking out." I wrapped him into a big hug on an impulse, then froze when I realized that he and I aren't that close. He hugged me back, but then noticed the expression on my face and pulled away. "

So, uh, where did you go today?" he asked, rubbing his neck. I could tell he was trying to start a conversation, and I was grateful. "I was trying to find you to return it, but you weren't in any of our classes."

"We have classes together?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too excited. He nodded. "Oh, well, when I was freaking out about my songbook, I kinda threw up, and the nurse sent me home. I was having a bit of a panic attack, I know it's kind of pathetic." It _was_ pretty pathetic.

He shot me a huge grin. "It's not pathetic," he said, placing a hand gently on my shoulder. "If I lost something super important to me, I would flip out too. So, it's a songbook?"

"And journal," I said, flipping the book over in my hands. "But yeah, mostly a songbook. Thank you again so much for returning this."

"Can I hear one?" he asked hopefully. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to."

I debated this. Austin didn't seem like the type of guy to judge or ridicule me, but I freeze up when performing, even for only a few people. "Well, I _want_ to," I said honestly. "But I have really bad stage fright."

"Oh," he said, nodding in understanding. "Well, that's okay. Maybe another time."

I grinned up at him. "Totally," I said, maybe even meaning it. "Well, I guess I should get back to work. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," he said, smiling and winking. I blushed and looked towards the ground. As he started to walk away, I gave him a quick, timid hug. I didn't know why, but I felt like it was necessary.

"Thanks again," I whispered, before running back to the counter to help a customer. I saw him nod and grin out of the corner of my eye as he left the shop. What was this boy going to do to me? I swore that I would always be the one girl to not like Austin Moon - but I can already tell that task just got a bit more difficult. Even though he is popular, he seems down to earth. He's different, not like the rest.

**(A/N - yay :D or nay D:? What did you guys think? Like it? Hate it? Let me know in a review! Got any questions? Want a sneak preview of this story? PM me!)**


	3. Descent and Dates

**(A/N - okay, I'm having a bit of fun with this one, and it is easy to fill up a chapter since it is shown from both points of view, so here is ANOTHER chapter. Hope you enjoy it!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I strode into school today in a much better mood than yesterday. I raced around the school, in hopes of seeing a particular brunette. "Hey, man," Dez called, following me around the corner. "Check out my turkey."

I turned around, expecting him to pull out a frozen turkey from his backpack - usually, it's ham - but, instead, a small, _living_ turkey popped its head out. "Dez, why do you have a turkey?" I asked, astounded. I am used to my friend pulling odd things out of his pack, but this was a new level.

"Why not?" Dez challenged, shrugging his shoulders. I thought about it, then pushed it aside. "So who are you looking for?"

"What?" I asked, stretching out the word. "I'm not looking for anybody, I'm just - okay, Ally." I gave up at the end, since there is no use lying to Dez. Not only would it confuse him more than usual, but he already knows that I have taken a liking to Ally, due to a random burst of insightfulness yesterday. Dez just nodded his head and smiled, muttering something about needing cheese balls as he walked away.

I turned another corner, and finally spotted Ally, looking very uncomfortable as a football player leaned against the wall next to her, inching dangerously closer to her. I saw that his hand was going lower and lower down her back, making me extremely angry and jealous. Then I locked eyes with Ally, who looked worried. I marched over to the two.

"Excuse me, Justin," I said, clamping a hand onto the jock's back. "I'm going to have to ask you to move your hand, back up, and stop making Ally feel uncomfortable."

The guy turned around to face me. We were about the same height, and his muscles weren't that much bigger than mine. If necessary, I wouldn't go down without a fight. "Moon," he said in a bitter tone. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

I was going to say something, but Ally spoke up quickly. "My boyfriend," she said, reaching for my hand with a pleading look in her eyes. I'm not sure what was going on, but her look made me nod and grasp her hand in mine.

"Right," I said, putting my arm around Ally convincingly - which wasn't too hard. "So I would appreciate it if you backed off."

Justin looked between the two of us then nodded. "Hey, man," he said, reaching out to shake my hand. "Sorry, I didn't know. It is totally uncool to flirt with a guy's girlfriend. And sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Ally."

Ally nodded her head, and then he walked off. Then I turned to Ally with a look that showed I was waiting for an explanation. "Thank you, Austin," she said, eyes wide. "You have basically saved me twice now. I owe you big time."

"So, I'm your boyfriend?" I asked, amused. I wasn't letting her off that easily.

Ally chuckled uneasily, taking her hand back from mine. "I knew that would get him to back off," she said, sighing. "No matter how much of a slimebag he is, I know that some guy flirted with his girlfriend in eigth grade, and she left him. He has a soft spot for that kind of stuff. But he is still a pig."

She shuddered in disgust, and I couldn't help but laugh. "So, we're not dating?" Part of me wanted her to hear the dissappointment in my voice, but part of me didn't.

"Nope," she giggled. Then she reached out for a hug. "Thank you. What can I do to repay you?"

I thought about it, then smiled. "Well, you could let me take you out on a date sometime," I suggested.

I wasn't sure how she would react, but she grinned up at me. "Did you just ask me out?"

"Depends," I teased. "What would your answer be?" She bit her lip and nodded her head yes, grinning. "Okay. I'll pick you up at six." I tried to be cool on the outside, but inside I was bursting with joy. Ally Dawson is a lot of things - new to me, mysterious, down to earth... Things that I fell for quickly. And now, I get the pleasure of taking her out on a date.

_**ALLY POV**_

I walked into school in hopes of seeing a certain blonde boy. When I rounded one corner, however, Justin Metzer pinned me against a wall, smiling at me seductively. "Hey, Ally," he said, putting his hand on my back and leaning close.

I felt extremely uncomfortable and looked around for help, but didn't see anyone. "Hi, Justin," I squeaked out, shutting my eyes. I felt his hand going lower and lower. "What are you doing?"

"Just admiring you," he said in a way that could make other girls swoon. But not me. Justin is similar to Austin in the way that girls flock to him - but the similiarities end there. Yesterday, I figured out that Austin may be a lot nicer than I first thought. Justin, however, is a slimy as he first seems.

"Well, can you admire me from farther away?" I asked hopefully. He shook his head and leaned closer, his hand getting dangerously close to my butt. Suddenly, I saw a flash of blonde round the corner. Austin. I shot him a helpless, pleading look and he nodded his head, walking over to us quickly. "Excuse me, Justin," he said, smacking a hand onto the jock's back. "I'm going to have to ask you to move your hand, back up, and stop making Ally feel uncomfortable."

Justin turned around to face Austin, and I tensed up even more, hoping that wouldn't start fighting. "Moon," he said in a bitter tone. "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

I spoke up quickly. "My boyfriend," I said reaching for Austin's hand and shooting him a look of plead. He looked confused, but nodded and grasped my hand.

"Right," he said, slinging his arm around me in a convincing way. "So I would appreciate it if you backed off."

Justin stuck out his hand to Austin. "Sorry, I didn't know. It is totally uncool to flirt with a guy's girlfriend. And sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Ally."

I nodded my head as he walked off. Then I turned to Austin with a grin. "Thank you, Austin," I said. "You have basically saved me twice now. I owe you big time."

"So, I'm your boyfriend?" he asked, obviously amused. I didn't think he would let that one slide.

I laughed and slipped my hand out of his. "I knew that would get him to back off," I sighed, explaining how he had a soft spot when it came to flirting with people in a relationship.

I shuddered in disgust at remembering the feeling of Justin's hand on my back. "So, we're not dating?" Austin asked. Was that disappointment in his voice?

"Nope," I giggled. Then I wrapped him in a hug. "Thank you. What can I do to repay you?"

"Well, you could let me take you out on a date sometime," Austin suggested, smiling down at me.

Did he just ask me out on a date? Be right back while I visit Cloud Nine. "Did you just ask me out?" I asked, grinning.

"Depends," he said teasingly. "What would your answer be?" I bit my lip, pretending to be in deep thought, but nodded my head, smiling. "Okay. I'll pick you up at six." I tried to stay calm as he walked off to his first period class, but my heart was going little backflips. Austin Moon, a boy who continues to surprise and save me, just asked me out. And I couldn't be more excited.

**(A/N - okay, what did you think? Read and review! Check out my other stories as well!) **


	4. Classes and Competition

**(A/N - whatup? Okay, I love writing this story! :D I keep writing, and I already have the next few written out, but am going to try to space out my posts a bit. What do you guys think? I know that the first and second halves of the chapters seem similar, but they show a lot of perspective change since they are from both points of view. Soon, some chapters will not be the exact same event on both points of view, like if Ally is having a private conversation with Trish, Austin is not going to be writing his perspective on that since he wasn't there. Confusing? I hope not!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

English was agony, a torture to sit through knowing that I have four classes later with the beautiful brunette who is quickly stealing my heart. The time crept by slowly, and when the bell rang, I shot out of my seat, running to Algebra II. The desks seated two, and we didn't assign seats yesterday, so I think I can sit next to anyone.  
I placed my backpack in the seat next to me so nobody would sit there, then moved it with a smile when I saw Ally walk through the door. She ran over, grinning and sat down. "Thanks," she said, giving me a small smile. "For saving me a seat."

I nodded and gave an apologetic smile to the nerdy boy who sat next to me yesterday. He took a seat next to Tilly Thompson, who looked utterly disgusted with even being in the boy's presence. I chuckled lightly then turned back to Ally. "No problem," I said, giving her a warm smile.

We turned our head to the teacher, who was in the front of the room. "Congratulations, class," she said in a bored tone. "The seats you picked today will be the ones you keep for the rest of the year." She quickly took attendance, marking who sat where. "We'll start the lesson tomorrow, just talk for now."

I turned back to Ally, and we smiled and high-fived. "Awesome," I exclaimed, beaming at her. I glanced over at Tilly, who looked like she was going to kill the teacher, while the nerd next to her was beaming ear to ear and scooting closer to her. I tried to hold in my laughter, but heard Ally giggling freely next to me. "I guess you don't like Tilly, huh?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I try really hard not to dislike anyone," she said, a look of guilt passing her face. But then she smiled again. "But Tilly and I haven't gotten along since kindergarten, and that is really funny."

I laughed in agreement. "Don't worry, she's not exactly... likable," I said, trying to find the right words. "And she isn't nice to girls who she sees as a threat."

"_Dawson_," Tilly shouted across the room, looking at Ally. "Switch seats with me, _now_." She looked at me with a flirtatious smile.

I shook my head and slung my arm around Ally's shoulders. "I think we're good right here," I called, smiling down at Ally. Tilly was visibly steaming as Ally and I turned back around in our seats.

"Are you guys friends?" Ally asked, gesturing towards Tilly. "I'm sure you are since you're both popular."

I thought about it quickly, then shook my head. "Nope," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't want to be mean or anything, but we're not. More like acquaintances that only speak because they are in the same social group."

"Oh," Ally said, nodding her head thoughtfully. "And what was that about her being mean to girls she feels threatened by? Why is she mean to me, since I am not exactly a threat?"

I turned to face her, and smiled at the innocence that was on her face - she really didn't know. "Ally," I said, shaking my head lightly. "You're probably the biggest threat she has. You're gorgeous, talented, and smart - and attract guys from every rung of the social ladder. Tilly thinks you could easily take her spot."

"Not that I would want to," Ally says, scoffing lightly. I could see a bit of pinks in her cheeks from me complimenting her.

"Because you're so down to earth," I said, smiling at her. "You're not like anyone else at this school - you're so real. I really like that about you."

I blushed this time, and she smiled at me. "Thanks, Austin," she said, placing a small hand over mine. We walked to our next class together, and carried on through the same fashion throughout the day. "So, six o' clock?" Ally asked after school, writing her address down on a piece of paper for me.

I nodded and stuck the paper carefully into my pocket. "Six o' clock," I agreed, grinning. "See you then." I winked at her as she climbed into her car, and then walked off to my own car. I have a date with Ally tonight.

_**ALLY POV**_

I tried desperately to learn something as I sat through History, but couldn't help thinking about the rest of the day. Yesterday, Austin said we have classes together, but how many and which ones? Would we sit with each other? I gave up on listening to the lesson, and sat there nervously until the bell rang. I know I shouldn't let this new boy get under my skin so quickly, but there is a bit of instant chemistry between us.

The bell rang and I bolted out the door, headed for my next class, Algebra II. Would Austin be here? I walked through the door and scanned the room, my eyes settling on a blonde boy waving me over. "Thanks," I smiled at Austin. "For saving me a seat."

He nodded. "No problem," he said, giving me a smile. Then he turned around and gestured towards the table where Tilly Thompson and a nerdy boy named Macon were sitting. Tilly looked disgusted, and I couldn't help but laugh, since Tilly and I don't exactly get along.

We turned our head to the teacher, who was in the front of the room. "Congratulations, class," she said in a bored tone. "The seats you picked today will be the ones you keep for the rest of the year." She quickly took attendance, marking who sat where. "We'll start the lesson tomorrow, just talk for now."

Austin and I high-fived in excitement. "Awesome," he exclaimed, shooting her a smile that made her giggle. Tilly looked like she was about to murder our teacher, and Macon kept scooting closer to the popular, blonde girl. "I guess you don't like Tilly, huh?" Austin asked.

I shrugged. "I try really hard not to dislike anyone," I said truthfully, feeling guilty. "But Tilly and I haven't gotten along since kindergarten, and that is really funny."

I thought he might be offended, since they may be friends, but he laughed. "Don't worry, she's not exactly... likable," he said, rolling his eyes. "And she isn't nice to girls who she sees as a threat."

"_Dawson_," Tilly shouted across the room, looking at me. "Switch seats with me, _now_." She shot Austin a flirtatious smile, and I hoped desperately that I wouldn't actually have to switch seats with her.

"I think we're good right here," Austin called back, slinging an arm around my shoulders and smiling at me. I grinned back up at him. Tilly was obviously peeved when we turned away from her.

"Are you guys friends?" I asked. "I'm sure you are since you're both popular."

"Nope," he said, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't want to be mean or anything, but we're not. More like acquaintances that only speak because they are in the same social group."

"Oh," I said. Then I remembered something he said a few minutes ago. "And what was that about her being mean to girls she feels threatened by? Why is she mean to me, since I am not exactly a threat?"

He turned and smiled down at me, as if I was missing something. "Ally," he said. "You're probably the biggest threat she has. You're gorgeous, talented, and smart - and attract guys from every rung of the social ladder. Tilly thinks you could easily take her spot."

"Not that I would want to," I said, rolling my eyes. But I knew that there was pink in my cheeks due to the fact that Austin just complimented me so much.

"Because you're so down to earth," he smiled. "You're not like anyone else at this school - you're so real. I really like that about you."

I saw a blush creep its way to his cheeks. "Thanks, Austin," I said, putting my hand on top of one of his large hands. We walked side by side to our next class, and carried on in the same manner for the rest of our classes. "So, six o' clock?" I asked, jotting my address down and handing it to him.

We were out in the parking lot now, after school, by my car. He smiled and stuck it in his pocket. "Six o' clock," Austin said, nodding his head. "See you then." He winked at me as I climbed into my car, and I watched him walk off to his convertible. I can't believe I have a date with Austin tonight - I need to go get ready.

(A/N - good? bad? awesome? horrible? let me know in a review! Check out my other stories!)


	5. Learning and Liking

**(A/N - I like this chapter a lot, and it's way longer than any of the other ones in this story. 2,000+ words! And no repeats of the same events from both points of view! hahaha, i hope you like it. let me know in a review!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

"I'm being so serious, bro," I said into the phone as I pulled on a pair of dark jeans. "I have a date with Ally."

"Woah, that's great, man," Dez exclaimed on the other end of the line. "So you must really like her, right? I mean, you don't usually pay any attention to the girls who throw themselves at you."

"Yeah," I said, sighing happily. "But that's just it. She doesn't obsess, and she doesn't throw herself at me. She is down to earth, and might actually like me for me." I heard a crash through the phone and knew it was time to let Dez go do whatever it was he was doing. "I'll let you go."

"Thanks," he shouted before I heard a click. I set my cell phone down then went over and grabbed a red t-shirt. Then I threw on a red and blue plaid shirt on top, leaving the buttons undone and rolling the sleeves up to just below my elbow. I toussled my hair so it was still nice but kind of messy. I don't know why I am trying so hard - wait, yes I do. I like Ally a lot, and I want to make a good impression.

I threw on a pair of red converse, attached my chain to my jeans, threw on my dog tags, grabbed my wallet and ran out the door. I had about ten minutes to get to Ally's house. Finding her house was easy enough, and when I got there, it looked exactly how I imagined it would. The house was two stories, but small, with a nice lawn and small white picket fence. I walked up to the door and rang the bell. A man who I assumed to be Ally's father opened it and smiled.

"Hey there," he exclaimed, shaking my hand and letting me inside. "You must be Austin. Ally has talked about you a lot since she got home today."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Dawson," I said, grinning. _Ally talked about me a lot today_? "You have a great home." Mr. Dawson seemed like a pretty laid back father.

"Thanks, son," he said, patting me on the back. "And please, call me Lester." I nodded my head, then turned when I saw Ally walk into the room. She was wearing a floral skirt, yellow top, and brown boots and a vest.

She looked beautiful. "Hey," she said, smiling shyly and fiddling witht the hem of her skirt. "You ready to go?"

I nodded my head. "Definitely," I said, smiling and placing a hand lightly on her back to lead her to the door. When we were walking down the driveway, I whispered, "You look stunning."

I saw the blush creep to her cheeks as I opened her door for her. "Thanks," she said as she climbed in, smoothing out her outfit. I ran around to the driver's door and hopped in. "So, where are we going?"

I looked over at her and smiled. "Well, I was thinking we could either take the cheesy first date route by going to a movie and barely talking. Or, we could do a more private first date where we go somewhere personal and talk about ourselves to get to know one another better," I said. "Whichever you choose."

"Well I'm not a fan of the cheesy first date," Ally said, grinning. "But how about we mix the two together? We could go to my practice room in the Sonic Boom, order a pizza, watch a movie, and talk."

"Wow, beautiful _and_ smart?" I asked, teasing. "I like it." I pulled into the mall parking lot and marveled at how comfortable I already am around Ally. I met her just yesterday in school, and I am already taking her on a date. Plus, we are acting like we're best friends.

She giggled and rolled her eyes, as we stepped out of the car. First we ordered the pizza, then picked the movie. "I hate horror movies," Ally groaned when I pointed out a massacre movie. At first I thought she was scared of them, and I would use the protective date approach. "They're so boring." Oh.

"I'm learning more about you by the minute," I said, laughing. We walked back to the stash of DVDs near the television. The room that we were in was her practice room above the music store, and it was pretty cool. There was a lot of furniture, a giant, light-up A, a piano, a television, a fridge, and more. I ran downstairs when I hear a knock on the door. Then I pay the pizza man and run back up.

Ally was inserting a disc into the DVD player, attempting to be sneaky. "Which movie did you pick?" I asked, setting the pizza down on a table. She smiled at me.

"You'll see," she teased. We eat the pizza together, smiling at each other every few moments. "Okay, first question: favorite pizza topping? Mine is pepperoni."

"All about pineapple," I said, grinning. "Okay, next question. What is your favorite color? Mine is yellow."

"Red," she said, giggling. A few moments later, the only things we have in common are our love for music and care for friends. I am an outgoing singer who loves performing, while she is a shy songwriter with stage fright. Our interests are very different, and I begin to worry that we might not work as well as I thought. "You know, we're so different," Ally said, practically voicing my thoughts. "But for some reason, we seem to click. You know?"

I nod my head, grinning, throwing out any thoughts of not having at least a friendship with the amazing girl sitting right in front of me.

_**ALLY POV**_

We watched the movie that I picked, Valentine's Day. It was a romantic comedy, and we laughed our butts off the entire time, lounging on the couch. It wasn't awkward, and it wasn't super romantic, it was just... good. We are having an amazing time, and I can see Austin and I being best friends, maybe even dating.

I found out that he loves pancakes, coloring, and the beach. I learned that he is terrified of umbrellas, and wants to become a rockstar. He has a soft spot for his true friends, such as Dez, an oddball with a backpack that might as well be a Mary Poppins bag - he has everything in there.

I offered up that I love pickles, writing, and cloud watching. I thought he would brush the cloud thing off as lame, but he actually seemed pretty intrigued. I told him that I have stage fright, leaving out why for now, and how Trish and I have been best friends since we were younger.

"I'm having a great time, Als," he whispered during the movie. I looked over to see him beaming, a smile that gets me every time.

"Me too," I said, smiling back. "Als?" I asked, thinking about the nickname. It was sweet.

"Yeah," Austin mumbled sheepishly. "If you don't mind me calling you that - I think it's cute."

"I do, too," I said, smiling up at him. He slung an arm around my shoulders and we watched the rest of the movie.

When the movie was over, it was only 8:30. I didn't have to be home for another hour, and was in no rush to end this. "So, can you tell me some stuff about your family?" I asked.

He looked down at me and smiled. "They're great," he said, and by the look on his face, I knew he meant it. "I have an eighteen year-old brother named Alex, and a seventeen-year old sister named Amanda. They're both awesome, and we're all pretty close. Then there is my mom and dad, who are also great. I wish my dad was a little more supportive of my choices sometimes, but other than that, they're fantastic. Then we have a chocolate lab named Lucy and a turtle named Speedy." I giggled at the irony in the turtle's name. "What about you?"

"We have a dalmation named Patches, and a bird named Owen," I said, trusting him enough to talk about my family. "I have an eighteen year-old brother named Ryan, and he is pretty careless, so I always feel like I have to take care of him. But we are really close. My dad is great, but goes to a lot of conventions, so he isn't home much. He is a bit clueless at times, too, but other than that, he's wonderful." Austin looked at me, and I knew he was waiting to hear about my mother. "And my mother," I said, sighing. "Walked out on us five years ago. It has been pretty rough, but we have been dealing."

"I'm sorry, Als," Austin said, wrapping his huge arms around me. "That must be hard. But you are amazing, and I hope you know that. If not, I guess it's just my mission to make sure you do."

"So you want to be friends?" I asked, hopefully. I know it seemed silly since we have been on a date the past two hours, but I'm always terrified of people leaving me.

"Of course," Austin said, grinning. "I really like you, Ally. You're awesome, and I want to be there for you. Okay?"

"Okay," I said, smiling. With that, he took me back to my house. He walked me up to the front steps. "Goodnight, Austin," I said, smiling up at him. I wrapped him in a big hug, and he hugged back.

"Night, Als," he said, grinning back at me. "I had an awesome time tonight. Maybe a second date sometime?"

I nodded my head. "Totally," I said, getting weak-kneed. He smiled and waved, walking back down to his car as I let myself through the front door. I like Austin a lot, both as a person and as something more. Even though we have only been on one date, I could see us having one of those cute, best-friend relationships one day. The kind where the couple isn't awkward and clingy, but instead just generally enjoys each other's company and love.

Not that I'm in love. But I am in _like_. I started to climb the stairs, but heard my dad behind me. "Hold it," he said. I whirled around, not expecting this overprotective father bit from him. He must have sensed this because he grinned. "Just kidding, Ally. I just wanted to know how your date went."

"It was great, Dad," I said, smiling. My father and I were close enough that I could tell him that, but not much more, like all the details.

"Did he kiss you?" my father asked. I groaned and shook my head, making him chuckle. This was getting awkward. "Oh, Ally-Cat, calm down. I already think Austin is a great young man. If I were to give you the permission to date anybody, it would be him. I'm glad you had fun."

"Thanks, Dad," I said, smiling and giving him a quick hug. I walked up the stairs to see Ryan playing a video game. "Hey, Ry," I called out.

He looked up and waved. "Hey, sis," he shouted, motioning for me to come in while he paused his game. Wait, he is pausing his game to talk to me? Oh no, what did I do? "So I heard you had a date tonight."

I nodded my head slowly, not knowing where he was going with this. "Yeah," I said. "With Austin Moon."

"Austin?" Ryan asked. I nodded my head again. "I'm friends with his older brother, Alex. I was going to give you some talk about how you better make sure this guy respects you and that I will punch him if he hurts you. But since it's Austin, and I know he is a good guy, I'll let is slide. Well, actually, I might still do it to rattle his cage a bit."

I smiled at my brother, glad that he genuinely cares about me. "Thanks, Ryan," I said, smiling. He gave me a quick hug.

"Anytime, sis," he said. "But I'm being serious. Ally, you're great and a lot of guys have started to notice you. Don't let anyone treat you badly, or they will have to hear from me. And you and Austin are good together."

I nodded and thanked him again before heading to my room. I'm glad that my family approves of Austin, because I hope to be spending a lot of time with him in the near future.

**(A/N - so what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Review it! Also, I have a question for you: On the show, how would you like to see Austin and Ally get together? I would personally like to see Austin shut Ally up mid-rant one day with a gentle kiss, and then have them tell each other how they feel - since there is obviously some hidden feelings. :D let me know what you think!)**


	6. Dating and Details

**(Sup guys! Sorry I didn't update any of my stories yesterday! I am doing this huge project for my history class, and when I started writing, my parents took me out to eat at Chili's! So good! :D Anyway, here's the chapter!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I pulled into my parking space the next day at school, ready for an amazing day. Ally and I had a great time on our date last night, and I just have a great vibe about the day. I walked briskly through the doors of the school, hoping to catch Ally before first period. I spotted her standing at an open locker, and snuck up behind her, putting my hand over her eyes gently. "Guess who," I said, trying to disguise my voice.

She placed her hands over mine. "Taylor Lautner?" she teased. I rolled my eyes and she pulled my hands down, turning around to look at me. "Hey, Austin," she said, grinning.

"Hey, Als," I said, reaching out to tuck a small strand of hair behind her ears. I beamed at her, and she smiled back. We both just stood there in the middle of the hallway, grinning at each other, receiving odd looks from passerbys. But I don't care. "Is it okay if I walk you to class?"

"That would be great," she said, smiling and shutting her locker. I bowed out my arm jokingly, and she looped hers through mine, giggling. "I had a really great time last night," she whispered, smiling up at me.

"Me too," I said. "So, second date Friday night?" I looked at her hopefully, wanting this to become a regular thing. I really enjoyed Ally's company, and want a real relationship with her - one where we are not only dating, but best friends.

"Hmm," she said, tapping her finger to her chin jokingly. "I'll have to check my schedule. But that sounds good." I stuck my tongue out at her, making her laugh. We reached her classroom far too quickly, and I wished I had every class with her. Not that I'm clingy, I just really enjoy being around her. "Thanks, Austin," she said, reaching out and giving my hand a squeeze.

"See you next period," I winked, watching her walk through the door. Then I headed off to my own first class, English. As soon as I walked in, the air felt different in some way.

"Hey, way to go, man," one guy said, giving me a thumbs up.

"She's a cutie," another said, giving me a high-five. "Just treat her right, because she seems sweet."

A few girls shot me sad expressions, and I am insanely confused as to what is going on. "Um," I stated, waiting for someone to fill me in.

"You're dating Ally Dawson, right?" one girl asked, shooting me a look that had fury, jealousy, and sadness mixed into it.

"No," I said, slowly. I wish I was, but Ally and I are not official. A few girls perked up at that. "Not yet, anyway."

Everyone went back to their own business after that, not caring anymore. I was grateful. Sure, I would love to be dating Ally, but I don't want that rumour going around before it is true. What if Ally gets upset by it and doesn't talk to me anymore?

I pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on the lesson the teacher was droning on about. I'm not sure if I found the subject boring, or maybe even the teacher. It could even be that I am just excited to get to my classes with Ally. But something made the class seem like an eternity, and I was relieved when the bell finally rang.  
I bolted out the door, wanting to get to math. "Austin," a voice called out. I turned around to see Dez running towards me. We did our handshake quickly. "Hey, man. How did your date with Ally go last night?"

"Amazing," I said, smiling. "And I think we are going to go on another one Friday. I'll tell you more later, okay? I have to get to class."

He nodded and went off in the direction of his own class. I walked into math, extremely close to being late, and sat next to Ally, who was smiling to herself. "Hey there, Ms. Smiles," I said, teasing.

"Oh, hey," she said, as if coming out of a daze.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked curiously. She blinked a few times and shook her head.

"Oh, nothing," she said, biting her lip. I shot her a puppy dog look and she sighed. "Fine," she said, biting her lip even harder. "You and our date."

I couldn't help but smile. "I keep thinking about it, too," I said, placing one of my hands over hers. "It was a pretty great first date, huh?"

She giggled and rolled her eyes. "Yes," she said, smiling again. "And I can't wait for our second."

_**ALLY POV**_

"Okay, Trish," I groaned as my best friend walked through the doors of the Sonic Boom, demanding for details on my date. I flipped the shop's sign to 'Closed' and began telling her about it. "Well we came here, and talked. And we ordered pizza and a watched a movie. It was really sweet, and I feel so comfortable around him."

"Aw," Trish gushed, clapping her hands together excitedly. "You two would make such an adorable couple. If he asks you to be your girlfriend, would you say yes?"

I barely had to think about it before nodding my head. "In a heartbeat," I said, smiling. "But I don't know when that will happen. Hey, I'm going to head home a little early tonight. See you tomorrow."

Trish nodded her head and walked out the door to wherever she now had a job. I closed the shop for the night, only an hour early and headed home. I noticed a red convertible in the driveway and sprinted into the house, only to see Austin sitting on the couch, nodding as Ryan spoke.

"Okay, so here's the thing," Ryan said, trying and failing to be intimidating. "As Ally's big brother, I'm supposed to be super protective of her. And tell you that if you ever hurt her, I'll hurt you. If you touch her or take advantage of her, you're dead to me. I'm supposed to say that you need to treat her with respect. How am I doing so far?"

From the couch, Austin chuckled. "Just fine," he laughed. Then he looked serious. "But I want you to know that I won't ever hurt Ally intentionally, and will protect her from anyone or anything else hurting her. I just met her, and I already feel a bond with her. I like her a lot." _Aw, that's so sweet. _

"Bro, you have to give me your man card for that one," Ryan joked, laughing at Austin. "But I'm glad that you care so much about her. I love my sister, and only want the best for her." _Aw_! There is so much adorable in the room right now that I can't bare it.

"Awww," I exclaimed, making both boys turn their heads in my direction. They looked nervous and stood up, walking over to me. I waved awkwardly. "Hey guys."

"How much of that did you hear?" Austin asked, a look of confusion but happiness spreading across his features.

"All of it?" I said, sounding more like a question. Ryan looked from me to Austin, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever," Ryan said. "So, Austin, do you want to hang out here for a bit? Play some video games or something?"

"Sure," Austin said, shrugging. I followed them to my brother's room, where just before the door, Austin stopped and allowed me to go through first, placing a hand on my back gently. "Hey," he smiled down at me.

I grinned back and watched as my brother and my kind-of-almost-but-not-boyfriend play the game together. They acted as though they are good friends, and I realized they must do this a lot when Ryan goes to hang out with Alex. The two boys seemed to be struggling on a level, and after their third failed attempt, I spoke up.

"Can I try?" I asked. They looked at me shocked, and Ryan began laughing.

"Ally, it's a bit hard," he said. "You can try, but don't get frustrated if you don't get it. We can't."

I rolled my eyes and took a controller, joining Austin on the beanbag in front of Ryan's television. I started playing with the controller, restarting the level and manuvering quickly, based on what I have picked up from the boy's actions. I don't play videogames much, but it didn't look like it could be too difficult.

In a few moments, a crown appeared on the screen, meaning that I won the level. I turned to see both my brother and Austin staring at me, mouths agape. "Yay," I said happily, clapping my hands.

Austin leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Wow, brains, beauty, personality, and can kick Zalien butt," he said quietly, pulling back to grin at me. "You are quite special, Dawson."

**(A/N - what do you think? not too fluffy, but the next chapter will have their second date. And If I get at least ten reviews on this chapter, there might be a kiss. ;D So review!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**(What's up guys? Here's the next chapter!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

"So," I said to Ally as we made our way out to the parking lot, side by side. It was Friday, after school. "What kind of date do you want to do tonight? Upbeat and fun? Or serious and romantic?"

"I think," Ally said, turning to me. We were standing at her car. "We should do fun and romantic. Like, the arcade, or the beach, or something."

I thought about it, then smiled down at her. "Okay, got it," I said, mysteriously. She groaned, and I could tell she was getting frustrated.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" she asked sweetly. I chuckled and shook my head, making her huff. "Fine - but I don't like surprises."

I rolled my eyes and grinned at her, grateful when she smiled back. "You will like this one," I said, giving her a small wave. "I'll pick you up at seven."

She nodded her head and climbed into her car, while I walked towards my own. I continue to question how I became so lucky to have an almost-girlfriend like Ally Dawson. She was everything I wanted in a girl - beautiful, smart, kind, talented, and down to earth.

I drove home, wanting to relax before my date with Ally tonight. I was planning on taking her to mini golf. It would be fun, but we could make it romantic if we want to. My phone began to buzz next to me on my bedside table. "Hello," I said into the phone.

"Hey, Austin," Dez shouted happily from the other end of the call. "What are you doing tonight? Want to come over and play Zaliens with me and Roy?"

"Sorry, bro," I said, truthfully. "I have a date with Ally tonight. Rain check?"

I heard him groan from the other end of the line. "You're not going to be the kind of guy who drops everything, including his friends, for a girl right?"

I was shocked that my best friend was saying this. "Of course not," I said, defending myself. "Ally and I have been planning on going on a second date since Wednesday. I promise I will still give you guys bro time, I just really like her."

"It's cool, dude," Dez said. "No need to get defensive. I get it, you really like her. As long as you don't start blowing us off all the time, we'll be fine."

With that, we hung up. It wasn't an argument, but something about it made me feel like a terrible friend. Have I really ignored Dez that much in the past week? I hope not. Dez has been my best friend since we were four. I shook the feeling and paced to my brother, Alex's room. "Hey, bro," I said.

He turned around and gave me a 'sup' nod. "Yo, Austin," he called out, waving me into the room. I leaned against a wall with my arms crossed. "What's up?"

"Is it lame of me to blow off a night with my bros once for a date I already had planned with a girl?" I asked. Alex has had many years of dating experience, and even though we aren't that close, I knew he could help me.

"Not at all," he said, looking at me. "If you do it on multiple occasions, and already had the night with your guys set up, then that is lame. But if you already had the date, and it doesn't become a regular occurrence, it's no big deal. Just keep your priorities straight. Who's the lucky lady anyway?"

"Ryan Dawson's sister, Ally," I said, smiling just thinking about her. "We have a date tonight, and Dez wanted me to come play Zaliens with him and Roy. I had to say no, though, and he talked about me blowing him off."

"He'll be fine," Alex said, nodding his head. "And congrats on the date with Ally, bro. She's a cutie. But treat her right, okay? She's a nice girl, and as Ryan's little sister, she's practically my little sister."

I nodded my head and thanked him for the advice, promising I would treat Ally well. Then I headed back to my room, getting ready for my date with Ally.

_**ALLY POV**_

"Hey, Ally," Trish said from the other end of the phone. "Do you want to have a sleepover tonight?"

"I would love to, Trish," I said, sighing. "But I have a date with Austin at seven, and since I have no clue where he is taking me, I don't know when we will finish. If it doesn't end too late, I could try and come over."

"Ally, I don't care if it ends at _midnight_," Trish said from the other end of the line. "Come over and tell me all about it afterwards. Okay?"

I promised her I would come over after the date, which probably wouldn't end too late. I packed an overnight bag and made set it by the door. It was ten minutes until seven, and Austin would be showing up soon. I quickly took a look at my outfit, a pair of jeans shorts and a light blue tank top. I had on a pair of flip flops as well. The outfit was casual, but with a cardigan and headband, it could easily be dressed up. I didn't know what to wear since Austin won't tell me where he is taking me.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I quickly rushed back to the door, opening it slowly. "Hey, Ally," Austin grinned, leaning against the door frame. "Ready?"

"Totally," I said, smiling. Then I gestured to my outfit. "Okay, I know where we are going is a surprise, but can you at least tell me how to dress? I don't want to show up to somewhere fancy in casual clothes." I looked down at him. He was wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a t-shirt.

"You look perfect," he said, smiling and taking my hand. I quickly grabbed my overnight bag and shut the door behind me, trying to hide my blush at the same time. "Why do you hide your blush?" Austin asks. "It's cute."

This only made me blush a few shades more. "Thanks," I said, smiling to myself. He opened the car door and took my bag for me, setting it in the backseat. "So, are you going to tell me now, or do I have to wait until we get there?"

Austin chuckled at my impatience and bit his lip. "You really don't like surprises, do you?" he asked. I shook my head, giving him an expectant look. "I can promise it's going to be fun. Just trust me."

"I trust you," I said smiling. He grinned at me, then turned his focus back to the road. Soon enough, I realized what direction we were headed in. "No way," I exclaimed as we pulled into a Congo River Mini Golf parking lot. "This is so awesome. I rock at mini golf. It's the only sport I'm good at."

Austin laughed lightly and turned the car off, racing around to open my door. "This way, mi'lady," he said in a funny accent, offering his hand to me. I gladly accepted it, and we began walking to the entrance, fingers intertwined. Austin slipped the cashier some money, and picked a yellow ball, which I know is his favorite color. "And a red for you," he said, handing me a bright red ball.

I grinned, glad that he remembered my favorite color. We headed to the first hole, where I took the first shot. I got a hole in one. I turned around to see Austin gaping at me. "What?" I asked innocently.

He laughed and set his own ball down, also getting a hole in one. "Dang, we're good," he exclaimed. On the second hole, he started cracking jokes, and pretending to use his club as a microphone. "_Flip a switch, turn up the lightning,_" he sang out, making me giggle.

"_Get it right, show them how it's done_," I sang back. He was gaping at me again, and I realized that this is the first time I have sung in front of him. We had made it to such a comfortable spot in our relationship that I completely forgot about my stage fright in front of him.

"That was amazing," he exclaimed, looking at me wide-eyed. "Your voice is beautiful - almost as beautiful as you." I grinned up at him, and he smiled back. "And you just made up lyrics on the spot. It took me two days just to think of the first two lines."

"_Free it up, no matter how you dress that song_," I sang, still thinking of lyrics as I went. "_Girl you know you got a number one. Go with it, you got them where you want them. Drop the beat, they need to hear your sound. Play it up, It's coming down to you right now_... That's all I can come up with for now." Austin was still staring at me. "What?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"How do you do that?" he asked incredulously. "You just came up with awesome lyrics on the spot. And you can sing. And you can play instruments."

"You sing and play instruments, too," I pointed out. He nodded, but said he can't write songs. "I have always been exposed to music, I guess."

"Well, you're awesome," he said, smiling. With that, we went back to the game, and continued to get tied scores on every hole. By the eighteenth hole, we were tied at a score of 22 each. We drew a large crowd, both because of our amazing game, and our singing frome earlier. "Yes, hole in one," Austin exclaimed.

I set my ball down, hoping for a tie game - that would be awesome. I took a deep breath and looked over to Austin who was giving me a thumbs up. I nodded, smiling, and took my shot, watching as the ball quickly rolled down the hill, through a tunnel, across a small stream, and finally, into the hole at the end. "Woohoo," I wooped, everyone around joining in.

Austin ran over and pulled me into a huge hug. "That was awesome," he shouted. "I have never tied anyone at mini golf before, especially not at such an amazing score."  
Everyone around us was clapping and commenting on what a cute couple we were. I smiled, not knowing if that is what Austin and I are. I mean, we are close, and we have gone on a few dates, but we aren't officially anything. Austin took my hand and led me through the crowd, to his car. It was only nine, so I asked him to drop me off at Trish's house.

The ride was filled with chatter and singing. Singing with Austin feels so natural, like it is exactly where I belong. When we pulled into Trish's driveway, I grabbed my bag from the backseat. "Thanks for an awesome night, Austin," I smiled at him. He grinned back.

"Thank _you_, Ally," he said. "Yet another amazing date. Will this become a regular occurrence?"

Feeling flirty, I responded, "We'll see," with a wink. Then I leaned in and quickly kissed his cheek. "But I hope so."

I dashed out of the car and up to Trish's front door, waving to Austin as I stepped inside. He looked like he was in a daze, or a happy place. I really hoped that it was because of me.

I said hello to Trish's mother and quickly ran up the stairs to Trish's room. "Hey," I called out, running to her bathroom to change into my pajamas.

"Spill," she said as I walked back into her bedroom. "Did you guys kiss?"

"Well, I kissed him on the cheek," I said. I feel like if he dropped me off at my house, he would have walked me to the front door, and we would have kissed me goodnight. But that would've been awkward at your front door." Trish nodded her head in agreement. "Plus, that might just be something that happens in the movies."  
I filled Trish in on the rest of the date, and she squealed excitedly the whole time. Then, we spent the rest of the night gossipping, painting each other's nails, and watching chick flicks. It was a perfect night, from my date with Austin to my time with my best friend.

**(A/N - what did you think of their second date? Will Austin blow off Dez all the time? How will Trish feel about it? Will they be official soon? Sorry about no kiss.. but I only got nine reviews on the last chapter! I was serious when I said ten! So, if you guys really want it.. Review! Thanks! You guys are the best!)**


	8. Kisses and Kin

**(A/N - whuddup, readers? Here's chapter 8! I promised you guys a kiss, so... ;)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I woke up on a Saturday morning feeling unhappy that there was no school. I know - Austin Moon wishing there was school? It's crazy, I know, but I have so many classes with Ally. I know that she is probably working today, and I don't want to bug her, so maybe I will stop by later. Suddenly, my phone began ringing. "Hey, Dez," I said into the receiver.

"Hey, Austin," he chirped back. "Do you want to hang out with me today? We could play video games or something. Or do you have another date with Ally?"

"Sounds good, man," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll be over in a half hour." I would tell him when I got there that I am sorry I couldn't hang out last night. After throwing on a t-shirt and jeans, I raced out to my car, driving over to my best friend's house. "Hey, dude," I shouted as I walked into the house.

We began playing video games, and Dez kept talking about his gingerbread family. Then he turned to me. "I'm surprised you could come over today, Austin," Dez said in a somewhat bitter tone. "Shouldn't you be with Ally?"

"Dez, come on," I groaned, shooting him a look. "I'm sorry that I didn't come over last night. But Ally and I had been planning to go out last night for a few days, and I wasn't just going to blow her off. I promise, I'll always put my best friends before a girl, even if that girl is Ally. But I have to space my time out equally. You know what would be even cooler? Is if you could actually be friends with Ally."

Dez sighed. "I know, man," he said. "I'm sorry. I overreacted, because I'm honestly a bit jealous of you. You have so many friends and can get any girl, and I wish I could do that. But everyone thinks I'm strange. Come on, what's strange about wearing cheese socks?" He pulled up the legs of his jeans a bit to reveal socks that were indeed made of cheese.

"Why do you- Nevermind," I said, brushing it off. Dez has done stranger things. "Well, I'm sorry that's how you feel, man. You are strange, but that's why we're friends! You keep my life interesting. Trust me, being popular isn't all that great, and the only girl I have had eyes for is Ally. One day, you'll find a nice girl too. But for now, how about you at least try and be nice to Ally? Because I really like her, and I hope we become boyfriend and girlfriend soon. And I want her and my best friend to get along."

He nodded his head. "Alright, I'll try," he said. "She actually seems like a nice girl." I nodded my head. "Okay, so how about we go get some corndogs?" I was grateful for a subject change, because I wasn't used to such serious discussions with Dez. We are both odd and fun loving, and our conversations don't get this deep.

We drove to the mall, and raced to the foodcourt, buying seven corndogs. Each of us had two, and Dez stuck two in his pockets. I carried the third one in my hands to Sonic Boom. "Hey, Ally," I called out as Dez and I walked through the door. She looked up from her leather songbook and smiled.

"Hey, Austin," she said, waving. "And you're Dez, right? Hi, I'm Ally." She stuck her hand out to Dez, who looked hesitant but then grabbed her hand and shook it, smiling.

"Do you want a corndog?" Dez asked. When Ally nodded, patting her stomach, Dez reached into his pockets to retrieve one.

"Uhm," I said, stopping him. "Those probably have pocket lint. Here, eat this one." I handed Ally the corndog in my hand, and she gladly accepted it, eating and quickly. Dez handed me the other two corndogs, and I went to throw them away, but stopped when I saw the drumset. "Dez, come video this!"

I sat down at the drums and began using the corndogs as drumsticks, beating out a song. I grinned over at Ally, who was watching me with a look mixed with disgust, confusion, and slight amusement. "Why _corndogs_?" she asked.

"What else would I use?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders. I then threw the cold, linty corndogs away.

"Uhm, _drumsticks_," Ally suggested, waving towards the wooden sticks near the drums. I laughed and shook my head, placing my hand on her back lightly.

ALLY POV

I have to admit, even though we have a no food in the store policy, Austin looked pretty cute while drumming with corndogs. And his friend, Dez, got a kick out of it, so I allowed it. I don't think that Dez likes me very much, so I don't want to get on his bad side. "So," Austin said, placing his hand on my back. I shivered at his touch, but it was a good shiver. "Dez and I were wondering if you wanted to hang out with us this afternoon. Right, Dez?"

The redhead nodded his head, and smiled. "Totally," I said, glad that I would get a chance to try to be friends with Austin's best friend. I feel like eventually, we might become boyfriend and girlfriend, and if that is the case, I want to be friends with his friends. "Can Trish come too?"

"Sure," Austin said, smiling. "I want to get to know her better too. We should probably get to know each other's friends if we are ever going to... Nevermind." He smiled shyly at the end, and I even saw a faint blush on his cheeks. So he was thinking about that too?

"I know what you mean," I said, winking. "Well, I'm not sure where Trish is working today. Yesterday she was working at the Yo-yo cart and the frozen yogurt shop."

"She has two jobs?" Austin asked, eyebrows raised. "How does she keep up with that and go to school?"

"No, she had two jobs _yesterday_," I said, giggling. "She isn't very good with employment. She gets fired at least once a day, and on weekends, even three to four times a day."

"Wow," Austin said, eyes wide. I nodded my head, still laughing at my best friend's antics.

Speaking of Trish, she suddenly came strolling in wearing a chicken suit. "Guess who got a job at Quicky Chickie?" she asked, striking her usual '_I got a new job_' pose. I invited her to come hang out with Austin, Dez, and I. "Sure," she said without a second thought, shrugging her shoulders. "I've already been on break two hours anyway, I might as well."

I rolled my eyes and shot Austin a '_see_?' look. He nodded his head, trying to hold in chuckles. "Okay, so where are we going?" I asked, locking up the store after the last customer.

"Arcade?" Austin suggested. I looked to Trish for confirmation, and she nodded her head, shrugging her shoulders. I then told Austin that it sounded good, and he and Dez let out whoops of joy, running in that direction.

I chuckled beside Trish, as we walked a couple yards behind the boys. "So, you really like him, huh?" Trish asked, nudging me with her elbow.

I sighed happily and smiled at the head of blonde hair bounding towards the mall arcade. "Yeah," I said. "I really do."

We walked into the arcade, only to see that Austin and Dez were already playing games. "Ally, come here," Austin shouted excitedly. I followed him over to the skeeball machine. "Play this with me."

"I'm no good at it," I said, giving him a small smile. He raised his eyebrows and grinned, picking up one of the white balls.

"Well, we can change that," he said, winking. Then he placed the ball in my hand and wrapped his arm around mine, so he could guide it. "Okay, now we just go like this." He carefully guided my arm in an arc towards the machine, and it landed in a 10,000 point slot. "See?" he asked, handing me another ball. "We're great at this."

We played the rest of the game in that fashion, before joining Trish and Dez at a table. We ordered a pizza, and I sat in the booth next to Austin, nudging his leg gently with mine. He chuckled and intertwined our fingers below the table, out of the eyesight of Trish and Dez, who were bickering across the table. "Unbelievable," I whispered to Austin. "They barely met and they're already arguing."

He just rolled his eyes in response. We had a great afternoon, and getting to know Dez was actually pretty entertaining. He is very strange, but also very sweet and fun loving. I could see him as a brother type. Austin made a good effort to talk to Trish, but I already know that she approves of him.

Trish headed off to go find another job for the night, and Dez headed home. "Bye, Ally," he said, smiling and waving. "It was nice meeting you, and I hope we become friends. You're nice." Then he turned to Austin. "Thanks for hanging out with me today, bro."

We both nodded our heads as he turned to head home. "So," Austin said, reaching for my hand again. We laced our fingers together and walked hand in hand to the Sonic Boom. "Want to watch a movie?" I locked the shop behind us and we ran up to the practice room. It was just like our first date, filled with a movie and bubbly conversation.

"Want me to drive you home?" Austin asked around nine. I nodded my head and we left the shop and got into his car in the mall parking lot. We drove home, singing along to the radio. When he pulled into my driveway, he jumped out and opened my door for me.

Then he walked me up to my doorstep. "I had a great time today," I said, smiling up at him.

"Me too," he said, grinning at me. "And an awesome third date, might I add." He intertwined our fingers, and started humming. When I looked up and met his eyes, it seemed like everything stopped. Before I knew it, we were both leaning in, our lips meeting, and time just standing still. I felt everything - sparks, fireworks, my heart skipping beats, weak knees. It was perfect.

We both pulled away at the same time, smiling at each other. "Goodnight, Ally," he whispered, kissing me on the cheek before heading back down to his car. I let myself through the door, sliding down to the floor after I closed it, like they did in those mushy movies.

I looked up to see my father and Ryan grinning at me. "Did he finally kiss you?" my dad asked excitedly. I nodded my head, blushing, as my father broke into a wide grin. "My baby girl is growing up."

"So are you guys, like, dating now?" Ryan asked, helping me up from the floor. "Because I am _so_ willing to give Austin another overprotective brother talk. You should have seen his face last time. It was so funny."

"I don't think we're officially anything," I said, confused, but not minding. "But I know he likes me just as much as I like him - a lot. Maybe he will ask me to be his girlfriend soon."

Ryan laughed in agreement before pulling me into a hug, ruffling my hair. I stuck my tongue out at him and poked him in the ribs. Before we knew it, both of us had couch cushions in our hands, smacking each other with them and watching as feathers fly everywhere. "Ally has a boyfriend," Ryan called out, ducking as I chucked a pillow at him.

"Ryan is annoying," I sang back, giggling as the pillow hit my father in the face.

Suddenly, Ryan and i were both knocked onto the ground by two large pillows. "Daddy always wins," my father shouted in the same tones we have been using, whacking us both with pillows.

We were all cracking up, having a good time. I love my family.

**(A/N - what did you think? Let me know in a review! And tell me what you want to see in future chapters. If I get ten reviews, Austin and Ally will become official. ;D )**


	9. Sundays and Sprains

**(Hey guys! Wooo, there were at least ten reviews on the last chapter - and very quickly, might I add. You guys rock! So in return, here you go!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I love Sundays - they're so relaxing. I sleep in until noon, eat pancakes for breakfast, and watch cartoons in my pajamas all day. As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I remembered something. Ally and I kissed last night. I jumped out of bed with a spring in my step and quickly got dressed, wanting to head over to Sonic Boom and talk to Ally.

I drove to the mall and bolted over to the music shop only to see that the doors were locked. A sign on the door read, '_Closed on Sundays_'. I groaned and walked back out to my car. Well, that was a bust. I'm sure she has family days or something on Sundays. I should probably just leave her alone today, and we can just talk tomorrow. As I was driving, I saw a petite brunette sitting in the grass off the side of the road, clutching her ankle. I looked closer and realized that it was Ally, in excercise clothes, her hair in a ponytail, and a look of agony on her face. I pulled over, hopping out quickly. "Ally," I shouted, running towards her.

She looked up and smiled, but the grin quickly turned into a wince of pain as she grabbed her ankle again. "Hey, Austin," she said, obviously trying to mask the pain in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just driving around," I said. "But I saw you over here, and I could tell something was wrong. What happened?"

I sat down beside her, placing my hand over hers in what I hoped was a comforting way. She gave me a small smile. "Well, I run every morning, but Sunday runs are usually longer since the store is closed," she explained. "So I was running, and I tripped over that hole over there." She pointed to a spot where the concrete walk dipped sharply. "I felt something crack in my ankle, but I tried to keep going, and then I fell."

"Let me see your ankle," I said. She looked hesitant, but eventually turned her ankle so that it was facing me. It was swollen, and a little bruised, but it didn't look to horrible. "I think it's a minor sprain," I said, reassuringly. "Do you want me to take you to the doctor?"

"Nah," she said with a flick of her wrist. "I've had sprains before, I usually just ice them and try to stay off them for a while. Besides, I'm a big girl." She grinned and flexed her muscles.

"Alright," I chuckled, standing up. "But I'm taking you home." I bent down and scooped her off the ground bridal style, despite her protests, before setting her in the passenger seat of my car.

"I don't like to be lifted," she huffed as I got into the driver's seat. "But thank you. This is really helpful."

I shot her a goofy smile and began driving to her house. "Well, that's gonna be something you have to get used to with me," I said, smirking. I pulled into her driveway, which wasn't that far from where she fell. I got out and stood in front of her door. "Piggy back ride?" I asked, motioning for her to get on my back.

"No thanks," she giggled, trying to walk. She started to take a step, but stumbled, with me catching her around the waist. I gave her a look as I stood her back up, motioning for her to get on my back. She sighed and groaned, but climbed on my back. "Fine," she mumbled.

I pulled her up higher, and she wrapped her thin arms around my neck as we walked up to her house. "Isn't this fun?" I asked, laughing. She just smacked me on the arm in response. I tried the door, but it was locked, so she told me to ring the doorbell. I did, and Ryan answered the door shortly after, raising his eyebrows. "Sup, bro?" I asked.

"Not much," he said slowly, opening the door for us to get through. "What happened?"

I ran over and set Ally down on the couch, propping her foot up on a pillow. "Ice pack?" I asked. She pointed to the kitchen and I shuffled through the freezer until I found one. I wrapped it in a dish towel, then carefully placed it on Ally's sprained ankle. "Well, I was just driving when I saw Ally on the side of the road. I pulled over, and it turns out that she sprained her ankle while running."

"Just driving?" Ryan asked, raising his eyebrows. "Through _our_ neighborhood? Are you sure there wasn't _another_ reason?" He waggled his eyebrows, and I began to blush furiously, turning even more red when I heard Ally giggle. "Anyways, thanks for helping her." I nodded my head, and he turned to Ally. "Dad is at another convention, Als," he said, rolling his eyes.

I took that as a good time to leave and waved, heading for the door. But Ally called back to me. "Wait, Austin," she said, waving me over. I ran to her, trying to ignore the chuckles from Ryan. "Do you want to hang out here today? I mean, I understand if today is a family day for you or something, but - are you busy?"

"Most sundays I just watch cartoons at my house, then do homework I procrastinated on," I said, rolling my eyes. "So, if you really want me to stay, I will."

"Trust me," Ryan said, at this point not even trying to hold in his laughter. "She _really_ wants you to stay."

I saw Ally glare at him, but I kept looking at her with an expression of amusement. She looked back at me and blushed. "I really want you to stay," she said, grinning.

"Good," I said, taking a seat next to her on the couch.

_**ALLY POV**_

I forgot how funny Spongebob is. I heard Austin laughing on the couch beside me. His laughter sounds like music. "Pinhead Larry," Austin chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Gets me every time."

I shot him a sideways smile, wondering just how often he watches cartoons. We have been watching them for the past two hours, both of us lounging on the couch in the pajamas that we changed into. Austin even made a stack of pancakes, saying that this is what he does every Sunday. "I should really start my homework," I sighed around four in the afternoon.

He nodded his head, and stopped me from trying to climb off the couch. "I'll go get your backpack for you," he said, smiling. He took the stairs up to my room, and came down a few minutes later with my red backpack, setting it down beside me. "I think I left my backpack in my car, Friday," he said, running out the door. He came back a few moments later with a yellow backpack slung over his shoulders.

Doing our homework together is easy, since we have almost every class together. Not to brag, but I'm really skilled when it comes to education. I am a straight A student, and in honors courses. But, I have always struggled a bit with math, and the lesson we just started in Algebra II was bugging me. I tried without success to answer some of the homework problems, but ended up slamming the book shut.

Austin glanced over at me. "You okay?" he asked, scooting closer on the couch. I could see that he already had most of the math homework done.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I am just having trouble with math. I have always struggled a bit with it, but I never have so much trouble to where I might drop below an A. I just don't get this lesson."

He gave me a small smile. "Well, believe it or not, math is my best subject," Austin said, placing his open book across both of our laps. "So, I can try and help you."

I grinned back in thanks as he began carefully explaining the lesson to me. An hour later, we had all the problems done, and I actually understood it. "So, the answer would be..." he trailed off, wanting me to finish the problem.

I quickly solved it on my paper, then grinned up at him. "2x," I replied confidently, smiling even more when he nodded his head.

"Awesome," he exclaimed, giving me a high-five. We grinned at each other for a few more moments, and only then did it dawn on me that we kissed last night. He must've thought of it at the same time, because he gave me a shy smile. "So, about last night," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

I watched him for a few more minutes before our eyes locked, causing us to stare at each other again, just smiling. We both leaned in, and our lips connected again, just as magical as the first time. The kiss was long, sweet, and slow. When we pulled away, Austin leaned his forehead against mine. "Who knew math could be so romantic?" I whispered.

He leaned back and laughed, and I have decided that I love his laugh. "Yeah, who knew?" he mused. Then he looked at me seriously. "Okay, we have a problem here." I looked at him with concern, not knowing what the problem was. Did he not want to kiss me? Did he not like me? "The problem is this: We have been on a few dates, are willing to get to know each other's best friends, and have kissed twice."

"Okay," I said, slowly, wanting him to continue. I still don't know where he was going with this.

"Okay," he continued, reaching for my hand and intertwining our fingers. "So my resolution is this: Ally, will you be my girlfriend?" I looked up at him, shocked.

"Definitely," I whispered, smiling. "Should we seal the deal with a kiss?" He nodded and we kissed quickly.

"You just really like kissing me," he feigned concete. I pushed his shoulder and laughed.

"Well, yes," I giggled. I bit my lip, not sure if I should say what I want to say next. My heart won, though, and I continued. "But I also really like _you_."

He grinned. "Good, because I really like you too," he said, giving me a kiss on the cheek and standing up. "I hate to leave now, but my parents will want me home for dinner soon. I'll see you tomorrow, Als." He gave me a hug and then waved, heading out the door.

Suddenly, Ryan popped out from around the corner. "Finally," he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "I have practically been waiting since your first date for him to ask you out."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway. "Me too," I said, giggling at Ryan's 'happy dance'. "Why are you so excited for us anyway?"

"Because my baby sister is happy," he shouted, running over and hugging me. "Even though I don't always show it, I really care about you, Ally. I love seeing you happy - and Austin makes you ecstatic. Plus, he's a cool dude. I wouldn't mind him as a brother-in-law one day."

"_Ry_," I screeched, pushing him and rolling my eyes yet again. "Austin and I just started dating like, ten minutes ago, and you're already talking about marriage?"

He grinned and shoved me back. "I know true love when I see it," he said, shrugging his shoulders. Then he quickly ran up the stairs, knowing that I couldn't follow him. He would probably have to help me up the stairs later, since my ankle still hurt a bit. School is going to be hard tomorrow, since I have to walk around a lot. I hope my ankle heals quickly.

Then, I thought back to what Ryan had said. True love? I definitely like Austin, a lot. And I might even love him, as a person. But was I _in love_ with him? I'm sure I could be - in the future. We just started dating, and I'm only sixteen. So for now, we'll just take this slow.

**(A/N - you all held up your end of the bargain, I held up mine! :D they're official now. Okay, so what would you like to see in future chapters? Drama? Love? something fun or exciting? Let me know in a review! Thanks!)**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N - fair warning - this is a short, filler chapter. A lot of people reviewed saying that they wanted Austin and Ally to have an 'official date' now that they're an 'official couple'. I have that written out, but wanted to space it out one more chapter, so this is the inbetween. (: Sorry if it isn't very good, I wrote it quickly because I thought you guys deserve a chapter tonight. You will definitely enjoy tomorrow's chapter, though. :D )**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

"Hey, Als," I said, propping myself up onto the counter of Sonic Boom, swinging my legs. She was writing in her songbook, and looked up for a brief second, sending me a heart-warming smile. "Whatchya writing?"

"Nothing," she teased, closing her book and sliding it under the register. Then she hopped up beside me and started swinging her legs as well. She leaned over to kiss me, but I pulled back, smirking.

"Not until you tell me what you were writing," I said, taunting her. I couldn't hold up to my threat though, and ended up leaning down and kissing her quickly. "Okay, your turn."

"Fine," she grumbled, taking her book back out and walking over to the piano. "If you really have to know, it's a song about you. I wanted to wait to sing it, but I guess I can sing it now." She placed her fingers over the correct songs and started to sing.

_I've been awake for a while now _  
_You've got me feelin' like a child now _  
_'Cause every time I see your bubbly face _  
_I get the tingles in a silly place_

_And it starts in my toes _  
_And I crinkle my nose _  
_Wherever it goes I always know _  
_That you make me smile _  
_Please stay for a while now _  
_Just take your time _  
_Wherever you go_

_The rain is falling on my window pane _  
_But we are hiding in a safer place _  
_Under covers staying dry and warm _  
_You give me feelings that I adore_

_But what am I gonna say _  
_When you make me feel this way _  
_I just mmmmm_

_And they start in my toes _  
_Makes me crinkle my nose _  
_Wherever it goes I always know _  
_That you make me smile _  
_Please stay for a while now _  
_Just take your time _  
_Wherever you go_

_I've been asleep for a while now _  
_You tuck me in just like a child now _  
_'Cause every time you hold me in your arms _  
_I'm comfortable enough to feel your warmth_

_And it starts in my soul _  
_And I lose all control _  
_When you kiss my nose _  
_The feeling shows _  
_'cause you make me smile baby _  
_Just take your time now _  
_Holdin' me tight_

_Wherever wherever wherever you go _  
_Wherever wherever wherever you go_

_Wherever you go I always know _  
_'Cause you make me smile _  
_Even just for a while_ **(1)**

She looked up at me and smiled near the end. "That was perfect," I said, truly meaning it. Her voice is so pure, yet so strong, and the lyrics were wonderful. "You continue to amaze me every day." She grinned and kissed my cheek before going back to playing a random tune on the piano.

_**ALLY POV**_

"Want to do something tonight?" Austin asked as I played the piano. I nodded my head, waiting for him to go on. "I was hoping we could have our first date."

"Austin," I said, shooting him a quizzical glance. "We've alreday had our first date. We have had a few, actually."

"Well, I meant our first _official_ date," Austin said, intertwining our fingers. "Since we are officially dating now, I think we should have a first date as a couple, you know?"

I smiled at him and nodded my head. "That sounds amazing," I said, giving his hand a squeeze. "Where do you want to go?"

"Well," he said, standing up and picking up an acoustic guitar. He began to strum a little bit and got momentarily lost in the music before snapping his head back up to me. "My older brother's friend owns this nice resturaunt. It's a bit fancy, but they also have an open microphone night. I was kind of hoping you would sing with me."

"Austin," I groaned, but still smiled. "You know that I have stage fright. I don't think I will be able to hold down dinner and sing in front of people."

"Well, Als," he said, shooting me a heart-melting smile. "Think of it this way. You are comfortable singing in front of me, so singing with me should be easy, just act like it's only you and I. You will probably never again see ninety-eight percent of the people there, and we can sing before we eat. I'm totally not going to make you do something you don't want to do, but it was just a suggestion. We can go wherever you want."

I thought about it, then smiled, snaking my arm around his waist. "No, no," I said, grinning up at him. "It does sound fun. And it _has_ been a while since I performed. I guess it won't hurt since it's a room full of strangers. Let's do it."

"Are you sure?" he asked, smiling down at me. I nodded my head. "Thanks, Ally, you're the best. We're going to have an awesome time tonight." Then he leaned down and kissed me, this one long, slow, and sweet.

"Get a room," a voice said, giggling. We pulled apart to glare at Trish, who had walked into Sonic Boom moments earlier. "You guys are cute and all, but let's not make out all the time."

"That wasn't even making out," I said, sticking my tongue out at her. Austin chuckled beside me and slung his arm over my shoulders. "Anyway, do you want to sleepover tomorrow, Trish? We can buy some movies and stuff."

"Totally," she said, grinning and giving me a thumbs up. "Well, I guess I have to go back to my job. I have been on break an hour and a half longer than I should be. Ehh, the boss won't care. Try not to eat each other's faces."

With that, she waved and walked out the door, leaving me giggling behind her. "She's so funny," Austin said between chuckles.

"I'm glad that you're becoming friends with her," I said honestly. "It means a lot that you are making such an effort."

"Well of course," he said, grinning at me. "Anything to make you happy. And thank you for trying so hard with Dez. He doesn't open up to new people very well, but you seem to be growing on him. It would be so cool if the four of us could hang out."

"Totally," I exclaimed, giving him a hug. "You know what would be even cooler? If Trish and Dez dated - then we could go on double dates and stuff."

"That would be cool," Austin commented. "But they were arguing so much at the arcade the other day. I don't know if they could even be friends, let alone date."

"That's just how Trish shows affection," I reassured him. "For the first two years of our friendship, she always pulled my hair and called me mean names. But we were best friends - and still are, ten years later."

"Now that I think about it," Austin said, smiling. "Dez gives people he doesn't like the silent treatment. If he bickers, he probably likes someone. Oh well, time will tell."

"Exactly," I said, smiling. That would be so cool if my best friend dated my boyfriend's best friend. "Well, I need to get back to my shift now." I sighed sadly and retreated to behind the counter.

"Okay," he said, disappointment evident in his voice. "But hey, at least we have a date tonight. "I'll pick you up around seven, alright?" I nodded and we both grinned at each other before he walked out the door, waving and sending me a quick wink.

I honestly don't know what I did to deserve such a great boyfriend - but I thank my lucky stars that I did.

**(A/N - like I said, filler chapter... But what did you think? :D Also, do you guys want there to be a Trish/Dez romantic pairing in this story? I'm not usually a fan of Trez (just because it doesn't seem likely in the actual show - YET), but you guys are the readers! So you tell me in a review! Trez: yay or nay? Thanks for reading!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N - wassup? Sorry that I haven't updated in a few days - I give you all permission to hate me. But I have had a ton of projects due, and final exams. But next week is my last week, and after that, I will probably post obsessively, so be prepared. And, I just burst into song, 'Be Prepared' from the Lion King. Okay, on with the chapter! Enjoy!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I rolled the sleeves of my nice black shirt up to my elbow, then slipped a tie around my neck. I attached my chain to my wallet, threw on my dog tags and whistle, then grabbed my keys and bolted out the door to my car. "Bye, Mom," I shouted at my mother who was reading a book on the couch.

She smiled and waved. "Have a good time with Ally," she called out. "And bring her by soon. Your father and I want to meet this girl that makes you so happy."

"Will do," I smiled, shutting the door behind me. To be honest, I can't wait until I can bring Ally over to meet my family. I think Alex has met her a few times when he went over to Ryan's house, but I think my parents will really like her. I also think that Ally could be really good friends with Amanda.

Maybe I can invite her over on Wednesday night to Moon family game night. Every Wednesday, all of my family plays a bunch of board games and cooks tacos for dinner. It's a tradition, and I'm sure that Ally would enjoy it - plus, bond very well with my family.

I pulled my car into her driveway and knocked on the door lightly. "Austin," Mr. Dawson greeted me as he opened the door. "Come on in."

"Hey, Mr. D," I said, stepping into the house as I have done many times over the past few weeks. "What's up?" He sat back down on the couch next to Ryan, facing the television. "Woah, who's playing?"

There was a basketball game on television. "The Lakers against the Heat," Ryan said, over his shoulder. "Come watch for a few minutes, I'm sure Ally will be ready soon." I nodded and sat down, all of us cheering on the Heat.

"Yeah," I shouted, pumping my fist alongside Ally's father and brother. Suddenly, I heard a noise and scanned the room briefly, beginning to turn back to the television. But suddenly I did a double take as my brain registered Ally standing at the foot of the stairs. She looked beautiful - well, she always does, but especially tonight. "Here, Austin," Ryan said, nudging me. "I'll pick up your jaw for you."

I blushed and turned back to Ally who was smiling. She was wearing a sleeveless black dress that hugged her skin in the middle, but flared out and down to her knees. She had a headband in her hair, and the slightest bit of makeup. The entire outfit was so austere, yet so dazzling. "Als, you look amazing," I said, my voice shaking a little bit.

"Thanks, Austin," she said, walking towards me and snaking an arm around my waist. "Ready for our '_first_' date?" she asked with a wink. I nodded while slinging an arm around her shoulder. "See you guys later," she said, waving towards her father and Ryan.

We began heading for the door, but Ryan grabbed my arm. "Look," he said, making himself bigger. "If you _ever_ hurt my sister, I swear to Go-" he paused and burst out laughing. "Okay, I can't do this. I already know you won't hurt her - but if you do, I really will hurt you. See you guys later."

I nodded and walked out of the house, wondering why he keeps pulling the overprotective brother joke. Ryan is a cool dude, and would probably help Ally in a heartbeat if someone hurt her, but he just isn't the overprotective type. I think he is just trying to scare me. I opened Ally's car door and gestured for her to get in. "By the way," I whispered in her ear. "Amazing doesn't even begin to describe you. You're gorgeous, beautiful, stunning," I said as she slipped into her seat. I shut the door and continued the list as I walked around to my side and started the car. "Perfect, phenomenal, beautymous , extraor-"

"Beautymous?" she cut me off, bursting into giggles. "What is that even supposed to mean?"

I grinned and began driving to the resturaunt. "Oh, you know," I said, truly not sure. "It means that you're beautiful."

She smiled and turned on the radio. We sang the entire way to resturaunt, and I loved the sound of Ally's giggles every time I sang in a funny voice. "So, are you ready to kick butt at the open mic tonight?" she asked.

"You really want to?" I asked, surprised. I pulled into the parking lot and hopped out, opening Ally's door and offering her my arm. She looped her arm around mine and we headed inside.

"Yeah, totally," she said, giving me a grin. I could see the slightest bit of uncertainty in her eyes, but also adventure, excitement, and happiness. She really does want to sing tonight.

We took a table and signed our names up on the open mic sheet, as a duet. "What song do you want to sing?" I asked Ally as we sat down at a table, waiting for our turn.

"How about 'Strangers like Me' from Tarzan?" she asked, a happy glint in her eyes. I nodded, since she was willing to perform for me, I would let her pick the song. Well, I would probably let her pick either way. Plus, she picked a really nice song, that we could easily turn into a duet.

We watched as a few people went up to the small stage to perform. Some of them were good, and others not so much. Polite applause was scattered for each person. "Austin Moon and Ally Dawson," the manager announced.

I looked over to Ally to make sure one more time that she wanted to do this. She nodded her head with a look of happy determination, and we walked up to the stage, hand in hand.

_**ALLY POV**_

_(Ally)_  
_Whatever you do, __I'll do it too  
__Show me everything and tell me how  
It all means something  
And yet nothing to me_

_(Austin)_  
_I can see there's so much to learn  
It's all so close and yet so far  
I see myself as people see me  
Oh, I just know there's something bigger out there_

_(Both)_  
_I wanna know, can you show me  
I wanna know about these strangers like me  
Tell me more, please show me  
Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

_(Ally)_  
_Every gesture, every move that she makes  
Makes me feel like never before  
Why do I have  
This growing need to be beside her_

_(Austin)_  
_Ooo, these emotions I never knew  
Of some other world far beyond this place  
Beyond the trees, above the clouds  
I see before me a new horizon_

_(Both)_  
_I wanna know, can you show me  
I wanna know about these strangers like me  
Tell me more, please show me  
Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

_Come with me now to see my world  
Where there's beauty beyond your dreams  
Can you feel the things I feel  
Right now, with you  
Take my hand  
There's a world I need to know_

_I wanna know, can you show me  
I wanna know about these strangers like me  
Tell me more, please show me  
Something's familiar about these strangers like me_

_...I wanna know_

Austin and I belted out the song, and I didn't even feel nervous once. Our voices sound amazing together, and I am so comfortable around him, that it didn't even matter that we were on a stage in front of many people. The audience burst into loud applause, far greater than that for any other performer tonight. Austin bowed and I curtsied, and we ran off the stage and back to our table. A waitor came over and took our order, and then I turned to Austin. "That was amazing," I said, grinning. "I can't believe I forgot how much fun performing was. To think, ever since-"

"Ever since what?" Austin asked, his eyes filled with curiosity. I hadn't exactly been keeping the reason for my stage fright a secret, it just hadn't come up.

"I'll explain another time," I said, smiling as our server brought our food to the table. "It's a story about how I got my stage fright, but I'm pretty sure we just broke it up there."

"Good," Austin said, and we both began eating our meals. "Because you are too great to not share your talent. We really were awesome. You're awesome."

I blushed lightly and shoved a forkful of lasagna into my mouth so I wouldn't say anything embarrassing. We ate the rest of our dinner in a comfortable silence, which was amazing. When we asked for the check, the waitor smiled. "Actually, that couple right there payed for your meals," he said, pointing towards an elderly couple.

We grinned and motioned them over. "Hi," the woman said as she arrived at the table, her arm snaked around her husband's waist. "I know this is weird, since you don't know us and we don't know you, but we really wanted to pay for your dinner.

"Really?" I asked, touched. "That's so nice of you. Thank you so much. But why?"

"Well," the man said, grinning down at his wife. "You two are very talented. Janet and I used to by pretty good musicians in our day as well, and we know young love when we see it. You two are so much like us when we were teenagers."

"Well, thank you," Austin said, shaking the man's hand as I hugged both members of the elderly couple. We both said thanks again and then left, hand in hand. "That was really nice of them."

"Yeah," I agreed, swinging our joint hands as we walked towards his car. "And I had an amazing time tonight. Thank you for a great '_first_' date, and thank you for helping me break my stage fright." I leaned up and kissed him lightly, before we got into the car, singing the whole way home.

"Tonight was great," Austin said to me, placing his hands on my waist. "You surely don't understand how special you are to me."

"I think I do," I said, beaming up at him. "Because you mean so much to me too." We both leaned in and began kissing passionately, both grinning wildly.

Suddenly, I heard the door open and two people clear their throats. Austin and I turned to see my dad and brother standing there, arms crossed. "Hi," Austin said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I knew they weren't being serious, but could see that it was making Austin nervous.

"Hey there," My dad said, shortly after bursting into laughter. Ryan joined him. "Okay, okay, let me calm down. Sorry if we scared you again, Austin. We won't do it as often anymore. I really do think you are a great kid, otherwise I wouldn't have given you the permission to date my Ally."

Beside me, Austin nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said, smiling. Then he turned to me and his broad grin got even wider. "See you in school tomorrow, Als," he said, kissing me lightly on the cheek. He waved and walked down to his car.

I waved back, and grinned stupidly to myself. My life honestly couldn't get any better right now. I have amazing friends, a fantastic boyfriend, and I finally got over my stage fright. Oh, and did I mention a great family? The same one that is currently interrogating me all about my date, and the performance. I explained everything to my father and Ryan in detail, reliving the story myself as I told it.

**(A/N - So? What did you think? What do you want to see in future chapters? Let me know in a review!)**

**Also, I have been forgetting to do the disclaimer; so I will do one here. Obviously I don't own Austin and Ally, nor "Strangers Like Me" by Phil Collins. I own nothing but the plots of my stories, and the occasional song that I write of mine into the stories. So... yeah. (:**


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N - hey, sorry I haven't posted in this story for a few days! I got pretty wrapped up in one of my other stories, "Playing Matchmaker", and forgot to post here. If you haven't already, go check out that story too! But first, read this update! Enjoy!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

I stolled into school the next morning, looking for one of my friends. I was looking for Ally, but bumped into Dez first. "Hey, buddy," he exclaimed, doing our signature handshake.

"Hey, Dez," I said, laughing as he pulled a bucket of fried chicken out of his backpack. It would be a shock to me if he actually kept anythin for school in there. "What are you up to?"

"Not much," he said, biting his lip. I could immediately tell that something was off about him today. What was going on?

"What's wrong?" I asked. He looked down and wrung his hands nervously. "Dez, you can tell me. That's what best friends are for, right?"

Dez nodded his head, but still looked nervous. "Look," he said, shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Can we hang out after school?" I nodded my head and told him we would, since I have been missing my friend and also because I am worried about him. I said goodbye and began walking towards Ally's locker.

I stopped and smiled when I saw her standing there, taking out two large textbooks. I swooped in next to her, grabbing the books from her hand and leaning against the locker next to it. "Hey," she grinned. "Where were you?"

"I was talking to Dez," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not sure what it is, but something is seriously bugging him, and he won't tell me until later."

Ally bit her lip nervously. "Oh," she said, shutting her locker and trying to take her books from me.

"What do you know that I don't?" I asked cautiously, holding the books up so she couldn't reach. If she knew something that was bugging my best friend, I want to know.

"It's nothing too big to worry about," Ally said, rolling her eyes and tickling my rib cage so I would lower the books. "He told me about it yesterday at Sonic Boom, saying he needed a girl's opinion. But honestly, I'm not in any place to give information, and he will tell you later." I shot her a playful look, hoping she would crack and tell me. "You're not mad at me for not telling you, right?" she asked, biting her lip nervously.

I shook my head and kissed her cheek. "Of course not, Ally," I said, truthfully. "You're right. Dez trusted you with information, and it isn't yours to disclose. Plus, he's my best bud, he'll tell me soon." She reached for her books again, but I gently nudged her hand away. "I have time to walk you to class, so I'll carry your books," I said, taking her hand in my free one. I laced our fingers and pulled her with me.

She grinned and we walked towards her history class. "History is so boring," she groaned, taking her textbooks from me. "I like math a lot better." She winked at me, and I knew she really didn't like math that much, she just liked having class with me.

"If it's any consolation, English is a bore for me," I said, rolling my eyes. She raised her eyebrows and teased me for using a big word. "Well, I have a test in English today, and it's one of our vocab words, so I'm glad I know what it means." She laughed her agreement. "Anyway, I'd much rather be in Algebra II, factoring equations with you."

"Okay," she said, giggling. "Consolation? Factoring equations? When did you turn into such a nerd?"

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I guess you're rubbing off on me," I teased, giving her a quick kiss before heading off to English. "See you in an hour," I called over my shoulder, running so I wouldn't be late to class. Normally, my teacher wouldn't care if we are a few seconds late, but on test days, she is so strict.

Who schedules a test on a Monday morning, anyway? I took my seat just as the final bell rang, with Mrs. Miller, my teacher, shooting me an odd smile. "So close, Moon," she said, rolling her eyes and slapping a test onto my desk.

_**ALLY POV**_

I sat through History, which was boring as ever. I couldn't help but wonder how Austin's English test was going. I know he will probably get an A. Despite his occassional lazy side, Austin is actually really smart. He's even way better than me at math.

I got so lost in my thought that I didn't even realize the bell had rung and the classroom had cleared out. I quickly gathered my stuff, waving goodbye to my teacher, and found Austin leaning on the wall outside my classroom, grinning when he saw me. "Now, it's my turn to ask you where you were," he teased, grabbing my books and walking quickly to my locker. He put them back, then took my hand, intertwining our fingers, before gently pulling me towards our math class.

"I got lost in my thoughts," I admitted sheepishly. "I didn't even realize that the bell rang! Nobody bothered to tell me." We took our seats next to each other in our math class, and started the bell work.

"Okay, class," our teacher announced. "We are going to have a pop quiz today. You may work with your partner. If your partner isn't here, then I'm sorry, but you are out of luck. Honestly, you shouldn't need your partner, as this is just review, and you should be able to complete it on your own."

I glanced around the room and noticed that the only partnerless student was Tilly Thompson. _Score_! I know, I know, that's so mean. But she totally deserves it. She doesn't know a single thing when it comes to math, but that doesn't show since she pays other students to do her work, and cheats off her partner during quizzes and tests.

Austin nudged me playfully and I turned to see that we already have the quiz, and he has the first three problems done. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and then we completed the rest of the quiz together, the first pair to turn it in. I looked behind me to see that Tilly was not so discreetly trying to crane her neck towards neighboring papers, but to no avail. Finally, she just stomped up to the front of the classroom and shoved her paper at our teacher.

Austin and I tried to stifle giggles, and after everyone turned in their papers, the teacher graded them quickly. "Good news," she said. "Most of you did well. The average was a B, but two students got a perfect score. Austin, Ally, you two are exceptional."

She handed back the papers and Tilly rose to her feet. "They obviously cheated," she exclaimed. "Ally isn't perfect, and everyone knows that Austin isn't smart."

I rose to my feet, ready to take this girl down, but Austin placed his hand on my shoulder, making me sit back down. "_Tilly_," our teacher said sharply. "_Nobody_ is perfect, so don't think you are. And Austin actually has the highest grade in this class. He is a straight A student."

I felt Austin cringe next to me, but then he let out a sigh of relief. Many people around the class gasped, and shot Austin looks of shock. "You're smart?" Tilly asked in disbelief. "But you're _popular_. You hang out with the cool kids, the ones that never study. How can you have straight A's?"

"I told you," Austin said, shooting her a look. "I don't want to be popular, if that's what it means. I hate the stereotype that I am held to, and that I have to lie about myself to please others. And you said that I can't just move down in the social ladder, because_ 'that's not how it works'_."

Everyone around the classroom snickered, even the few popular people. "Well, you can't just decide to," Tilly said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You have to do something to move down - and I think being a straight A student qualifies. You are so _not_ popular anymore."

Austin just shrugged. "Okay," he said, grinning. "That's all I wanted, anyway." With that, he turned back around in his seat, leaving the class laughing, and a fuming Tilly now stomping out of the classroom.

"That was quite a show, Mr. Moon," our teacher said, smiling lightly. "Good job. Class dismissed."

We walked out of the classroom and I grinned at Austin. "You know that you probably just made yourself even more popular for standing up to Tilly, right?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"If I did, then whatever," he shrugged, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "At least then, I'll be '_popular_' for a good reason. But seriously, I don't care about popularity. As long as I have a few good friends by my side, then I have all I need." I grinned at him. "And right now," he continued, bending down to kiss me. "I've got all I need."

**(A/N - again, sorry for the late update! Hope you liked it! What did you think? Thanks for reading, and as usual, please review!)**


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N - here's the next chapter! :D enjoy!)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

"I'll come pick you up around six, okay?" I asked Ally as we walked out to the school parking lot, hand in hand. Ally nodded, but bit her lip. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "What if they don't like me?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. "What if your parents hate me and think that I'm a terrible person, and won't let us date any more?"

"They'll love you, I promise," I reassured her, bending down to give her a quick kiss. We stopped at her car and I squeezed her hand, trying to get my point across. My parents are actually really excited to meet Ally. They even offered to move Family Game Night from Wednesday to Monday, just so they could meet her sooner.

"Okay," she sighed, smiling up at me. "I'll be ready by six. I really hope they like me, Austin." I promised her again that they would. "Good luck with your conversation with Dez."

I nodded and she hopped into her car and drove off. I walked over to my own car and saw Dez leaning against it. "Hey, buddy," he said, when both of us hopped into the car. I pulled out of my parking spot and started driving towards his house.

"Hey, man," I said, turning on the radio and rolling down the windows as we jammed out in the car. I pulled into his driveway and shut off the car as we sprinted into his house, grabbing bags of chips and sodas as we headed to the couch and turned on a football game.  
We watched for a few minutes, and then I turned to him. "So, what's bugging you?" I asked, shooting him a look. He sighed and muted the tv, leaning back and covering his face with his hands.

"I have a huge problem," he said, groaning. "I like somebody."

I nodded my head, waiting for him to continue. "So, is that why you went to Ally for girl advice?" I asked. He took his hands off his face and looked at me, annoyed. I raised my hands both in Ally's defense and my own. "That's all she told me, I swear."

"Okay, good," Dez said. "I mean, I wouldn't have minded if Ally told you, but she just doesn't seem like the kind of girl to go repeating stuff. That's kind of why I went to her in the first place. Plus, I learned that she is actually really cool, and that we could be friends."

"Glad to hear it," I said, grinning. "I think it's awesome that you guys are friends. Anyway, on with your problem. Why is it bad that you like somebody? You're a cool dude, I'm sure she'll like you back, whoever it is. By the way, who is it?"

He shook his head sadly. "The problem is that she is mean and always beats up on me," Dez said. "I actually think it's really cute when she calls me names or flicks my ear, but I don't think she likes me."

"Oh, no, Dez," I shouted, grabbing his shoulder and making me look at him. "It's not Mindy, is it? She is so mean to you, there's no way you can like her. Please for the love of everything, don't let it be Mindy-"

"It's Trish," he shouted, cutting me off and slapping his hands over his face again. "I shouldn't like her, because I know she'll never like me back. The other day, she ate my gingerbread family, and then threatened to smack the freckles off my face."

"That _screams_ love for Trish," I said, chuckling. "Ally and I were talking about it the other day how we thought it would be so cool if our best friends went out. She says Trish shows her affection through violence."

"Really?" Dez asked, sitting up and smiling. "Wow, that's great. Maybe she actually likes me after all. I'm going to go ask her out."

"Wait, wait," I said, putting my hand on his arm and making him sit back down. "Don't rush into it. Just try to be her friend first. You don't want to freak her out by asking her out so quickly." Dez thought about it, then nodded, asking what he should do to be her friend. "You could eat lunch with her in the food court one day while she is between jobs," I suggested, shrugging my shoulders. I would ask Ally about some more things for him to do later.

"Okay, thanks, buddy," he said, nodding his head. "I'm so glad we talked about this."

"Me too, dude," I said, as we did our handshake and a quick man hug. "I always want to know if something is bugging my best friend. So next time, just tell me, alright?" He nodded his head. "Cool. Well, I need to go get ready for tonight. Ally is coming over to meet my family."

"Wow, you guys are getting pretty serious," Dez said, pulling a banana out of his pocket. I laughed, since he could be saying something so serious, yet be doing something so odd. "Well, good luck. Thanks again."

I waved as I pulled out of the driveway, and I drove home to my house, getting prepared for my family meetin Ally tonight.

_**ALLY POV**_

I pulled on a pair of jean shorts and slipped on a blue, flowery blouse. I grabbed a pair of black converse sneakers, and pinned my bangs back. Austin told me to dress casual because we were going to do a Family Game Night, and sometimes, that consisted of things like Just Dance, or Twister.

I grabbed my phone and went down the stairs, just as Austin pulled into my driveway. I walked out to the car before he got the chance to come to the door, and hopped in. "Hey," I grinned.

"I guess you're excited," he teased, nudging me with his elbow. I grinned and rolled my eyes. "Aw, we match." I looked over to see that Austin was wearing a blue t-shirt, and a pair of jeans, with black converse on.

"What a coincidence," I said, grinning. He pulled out of the driveway and towards his house, and my nerves began to grow. What if Austin's parents don't like me? He must have sensed my nervousness, because he reached over and squeezed my knee, giving me a reassuring grin.

We walked up to his house, hand in hand, and walked into his living room, where a man, woman, and two teenagers were sitting. "You must be Ally," the woman said, running over and giving me a large hug. I saw Austin roll his eyes good naturedly, and the lady finally pulled away. "I'm Mrs. Moon, but you can call me Mimi."

"Okay," I said, giving her the best smile I could. "It's really nice to finally meet you." She nodded and introduced me to her husband, Austin's father. Then she turned towards Amanda, Austin's sister. She seemed really nice. Last, she turned to Austin's brother, Alex, who was also one of Ryan's friends. "Hey, Alex," I said, waving.

"Hey, Ally," he said, shooting me a small smile. "I can't believe you're dating my little brother. I feel like you're practically my little sister, since I have been friends with Dez so long." I nodded and took Austin's hand in my own again. We sat down at a low table and all played a game of Monopoly, which I won.

"Damn," Austin's father said, earning him a glare from Mrs. Moon. "She beat us all at Monopoly on the first time. Yep, she's a keeper, Austin."

I giggled and Austin rolled his eyes, chuckling. We played Apples to Apples after that, which turned out hilarious, and Amanda ended up winning. Lastly, Alex suggested playing _'Sing It!'_ on the Wii, and she and Alex took turns singing. Not to be rude, but they weren't very good - not that I would ever say that. Plus, they seemed to really enjoy themselves, which is what music should be about.

"Oh, looks like it the hot-shot's turn," Mrs. Moon said, giggling. Austin grinned and took the microphone. He held up a second microphone and motioned for me to join him.

"Want to come sing?" Austin asked, giving me a huge grin. I thought about it, but finally gave in when I saw the excited looks on the faces of his family. I nodded and grabbed the microphone as he selected the_ 'Random Song'_ button.

"You ready?" he asked, me, smiling. I nodded my head and took a deep breath as words appeared on the screen.

**_(Ally)_**  
_Some things we don't talk about  
__Better do without  
Just hold a smile  
We're falling in and out of love  
The same damn problem  
Together all the while_

**_(Both)_**  
_You can never say never  
Why we don't know when  
Time and time again  
Younger now then we were before  
Don't let me go,_  
_Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go_

**_(Austin)_**  
_Picture, you're the queen of everything  
As far as the eye can see  
Under your command  
I will be your guardian  
When all is crumbling  
Steady your hand_

**_(Both)_**  
_You can never say never  
Why we don't know when  
Time and time again  
Younger now then we were before  
Don't let me go,_  
_Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go_

_We're falling apart  
And coming together again and again  
We're coming apart  
But we pull it together  
Pull it together, together again_

_Don't let me go,_  
_Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go,  
Don't let me go(x2)_

We ended the song, grinning wildly at each other, as Austin's family erupted into applause. "Wow, Austin," Amanda exclaimed. "You said she was a good singer, but not _that_ good. You two are, like, perfect for each other."

We both grinned and everyone else complimented our duet. It was about nine PM, so I decided it was time to head home. "Bye, everybody," I said, grinning. "I had a really great time tonight."

They each hugged me. "Please come again, soon," Mrs. Moon said, squeezing me tightly. She dropped her voice and whispered into my ear. "And thank you for making my son so happy."

I grinned and Austin and I walked out to his car. When we got to my driveway, he walked me up to my front door. "That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be," he said, smiling. "I totally thought my family was going to do something embarrassing."

I couldn't help but laugh, since everyone is embarrassed by their family. "No, they were great," I said, grinning as he took my hands in his. "I had an amazing time tonight, and I'm glad that your family likes me."

"Likes you?" he asked, grinning. "They _love_ you! Almost as much as I do." His eyes widened at his words, and I could feel myself blush.

"You love me?" I asked, looking up at him.

He rubbed his neck nervously, but then met my gaze, grinning. "Yeah, I do," he said with a strong voice. "I just realized it was true when I said it, but yes. Ally, I love you."

I smiled up at him. "I love you too," I whispered confidently, knowing in my heart that it was true. We leaned in and kissed passionately, grinning the entire time. When we pulled apart, he leaned his forehead against mine. "Goodnight, Austin," I said, smiling and heading towards the door.

He waved with a loving smile on his face. "Goodnight, beautiful," he said, heading towards his car as I shut the door. I slid against the wood and down onto the cold tile, sighing happily. The boy that I love, loves me back.

**(A/N - well, there it is! :D there aren't going to be too many more chapters to this, but there will be a few! review please, and thanks for reading!)**


	14. Epilogue

**(A/N - I jumped ahead, quite a few years, because this is more of an epilogue. I liked the story where I ended it, so this is it! THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! NANANANA NANANANANA... okay, just read it.)**

_**AUSTIN POV**_

Ally and I have been dating for six years now. Yes, our families both approved. We have had a few arguments, and bumpy patches, but that is expected in all relationships. We have stuck through it all together, though. And I love her. I absolutely, without a doubt in my mind, am completely in love with her, as I have told her many times. Today is the day that I am going to take that love to the next level. We are both twenty-two years old, and today is the day that I will propose. Today - I will ask Allyson Marie Dawson, the love of my life, and my best friend, to marry me.

"Austin, stop worrying," Dez said, clapping a hand on my back. "Ally loves you just as much as you love her, and there is no way that she will not say yes. I guaruntee it." Dez and Ally have also become good friends over the years, which is very reassuring to me, since Dez did not like her at first. He is my best buddy, and when he and Ally began to hang out, I couldn't help but feel proud.

I have become quite close to Trish, too. She gives me a lot of good advice, or just slaps some sense into me when I need it - literally. Dez and Trish even had a stint when they dated, in our senior year of high school. It lasted a few months, but in the end, we all learned that the two are just better off as friends.

Even Mr. Dawson had given me his blessing in a heartbeat, saying that her knew I would take care of his baby girl.

"Thanks, Dez," I said, smiling over at my ginger friend. He told me to call him later with the news, and left me to calm my nerves before I go to meet Ally in an hour. She thinks that we are just going on a boat ride around the pond - which we are. However, she has no clue what else will happen today.

I threw on a pair of nice jeans, and grabbed a long-sleeved red dress shirt, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows, the way Ally likes it. It is Ally's favorite shirt of mine, and also her favorite color. I grabbed a black skinny tie and pulled it around my neck, before grabbing the small, black box that contained the ring that I would propose to Ally with. I set the box in the picnic basket that I packed, and texted Ally that I was on way to pick her up.

A few minutes later, I greeted Ally at her doorstep, and she smiled up at me, wearing a pretty yellow sundress. She was wearing my favorite color, and I especially love it on her. I linked our arms and led her down the driveway, opening her door for her. "You look beautiful," I whispered, grinning at her and kissing her lips lightly.

"Thanks," shen said, smiling at me. "You don't look too bad yourself. And I love the shirt." I nodded my head and started the car, turning the radio on. All my nerves for later suddenly floated away, because Ally really is my best friend, and if she says yes, I will be the happiest guy in the world. We drove to the park, singing the whole way. When we got there, I led Ally over to a small canoe, and helped her into it, before rowing around the small lake.

"Isn't this fun?" I asked her, grinning. Then, I began to singing a song that I wrote for her. My writing has improved quite a bit over the years, with the help of Ally.

_You're insecure _  
_Don't know what for _  
_You're turning heads when you walk through the door _  
_Don't need make up _  
_To cover up _  
_Being the way that you are is enough_

_Everyone else in the room can see it _  
_Everyone else but you_

_Baby you light up my world like nobody else _  
_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed _  
_But when you smile at the ground it aint hard to tell _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh Oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful_

_If only you saw what I can see _  
_You'll understand why I want you so desperately _  
_Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful _  
_Oh oh _  
_That what makes you beautiful_

_So c-come on _  
_You got it wrong _  
_To prove I'm right I put it in a song _  
_I don't know why _  
_You're being shy _  
_And turn away when I look into your eyes_

_Everyone else in the room can see it _  
_Everyone else but you_

_Baby you light up my world like nobody else _  
_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed _  
_But when you smile at the ground it aint hard to tell _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful_

_If only you saw what I can see _  
_You'll understand why I want you so desperately _  
_Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful _  
_Oh oh _  
_That's what makes you beautiful_

_Nana Nana Nana Nana _  
_Nana Nana Nana Nana_  
_ Nana Nana Nana Nana_

_Baby you light up my world like nobody else _  
_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed _  
_But when you smile at the ground it aint hard to tell _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh Oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful_

_Baby you light up my world like nobody else _  
_The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed _  
_But when you smile at the ground it aint hard to tell _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful_

_If only you saw what I can see _  
_You'll understand why I want you so desperately _  
_Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe _  
_You don't know _  
_Oh Oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful _  
_Oh oh _  
_You don't know you're beautiful _  
_Oh oh _  
_That's what makes you beautiful _**(1)**

I looked over at Ally, who's eyes were brimming with tears of joy. "_Now_, do you realize you're beautiful?" I asked her. She just leaned foward and hugged me tightly. Suddenly, I felt the canoe shift, and there was a giant splash.

_**ALLY POV**_

"Ally," I heard Austin shout as I resurfaced in the lake. The canoe had tipped, and we both fell out. "Are you okay?" I looked over to Austin, who had a lilly pad on top of his head, and was soaked head to toe. I couldn't help but burst out laughing, and Austin rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes."

We swam over to the bank of the lake, and Austin hoisted me out of the water. We both stood there glancing at each other before cracking up, since both of us were completely soaked and looked rediculous. "Even covered in nasty lake water, you look beautiful," Austin said, smiling at me. "I just don't get how you do it."

"I have to keep up with you," I teased, nudging him. He picked up the basket he had been carrying earlier and quickly laid out a large blanket. "A picnic?" I asked incredulously. He patted the spot on the ground next to him, and began taking food out. It was all amazing.

"And for dessert," he announced, pulling out another plate. I groaned, because I don't think I could eat another bite. "Austin Moon's famous brownies."

I gasped and grabbed one excitedly, causing Austin to smirk. "This is all so good," I gushed, taking a bite of the brownie. Once I finished, I looked over at Austin. "You really went all out, huh? Let's see, it's not my birthday, our anniversary, or Valentine's Day. So what's the occasion?"

I was truly curious. Austin is always romantic, but he truly outdid himself this time. Austin smiled a nervous smile and reached into the basket, pulling something out and hiding it behind his back. He dropped down to one knee, and I gasped, knowing where this was going. "Well," he said, taking my hand in one of his. "We have been dating for six years. I love you with my whole heart, and want to wake up next to you every morning, knowing you are mine, and nobody else's. Allyson Marie Dawson, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"  
He pulled a box out from behind his back and snapped it open, revealing a beautiful golden band with a large diamond in the center. The band was engraved, _'A&A forever and always'_, with a small musical note.

I put my hands over my mouth, not trusting my words. I just grinned and nodded my head, letting the tears of joy flow freely. "Yes, absolutely, a million times _yes_," I finally exclaimed, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I love you so much."

"Not as much as I love you," Austin whispered, slipping the band onto my left ring finger. "Soon, you will be Mrs. Moon. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," I whispered, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.

**1) I don't own What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction**

**(A/N - well, that is it! Thank you all so much for reading my story! I love you all so much, and thanks for the awesome reviews! Please tell me what you thought of the ending in a review or PM, and continue reading my other story, **_"Playing Matchmaker"_**_._ I will be ending that in a few more chapters, and have already started on a new story. So, keep a lookout for that in the next few days, and it is called **"_Miami Arts_"**. If you PM me, I'll tell you the plot. Also, thanks for getting this story over 100 reviews! You guys rock! Thanks for reading!)**


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